Shaggy's Showdown
by PerkyGoth14
Summary: Scott gets mail from his cousin Millie who he has not seen in a long time to visit the Crazy Q Dude Ranch. On the way, Mystery Inc comes along with other friends, only to find out Shaggy is feared, but it turns out he is the descendant of a violent gunslinger known as Dapper Jack Rogers whose ghost haunts the town.
1. Chapter 1

It was a nice morning at the Wallis house and Scott was wondering what to do until his older sister was checking the mail.

"Hey, Al." Scott greeted his sister.

"Hey, Scott, got a special letter from someone we haven't seen in a while." Albertha smirked to her younger brother.

"Really, who?" Scott asked.

"Our cousin Millie." Albertha told him.

"What does she want?" Scott asked.

"I dunno, Scott, why don't you read it?" Al punched her brother's arm with a laugh.

"Ha ha ha, very funny." Scott deadpanned.

Al gave him the letter and laughed as she went away.

"Visit the Dude Ranch..." Scott took a look at the letter. "I haven't seen Millie since Mammy's funeral. Hmm... Maybe Jade would like to go with me?"

Al just laughed.

"You're just jealous cuz I'm in love and you're not!" Scott glared at his sister.

"Yeah, right," Al blew a raspberry at him before laughing. "Who needs a guy right now?"

Scott rolled his eyes and then decided to call Jade, but he got someone else at first.

"Lisa the Babysitter speaking~" a different female voice answered.

"Oh, sorry, I must have the wrong number, I was trying to call Jade Summers." Scott replied.

"Oh, she's right here," Lisa replied. "Jade! Someone wants to talk to you!"

"I'll be right over!" Jade's voice called back.

"She'll be right over... You sound cuter than Jeff..." Lisa smirked.

"Erm, I'm Jade's boyfriend, Scott..." Scott replied nervously.

"Oh, right, sorry about that... I forgot." Lisa said.

"Is Jade coming over soon?" Scott asked nervously.

Lisa just giggled. "You're funny~"

"Thanks, Lees," Jade took the phone. "Hey, Scott, sorry about that, I had to break up a fight between Dexter and Dee Dee."

"That's all right." Scott replied.

"So, what's up?" Jade asked.

"Um, well, my cousin Millie invited me over to a dude ranch and I was wondering if ya'd like to come..." Scott invited shyly and nervously.

"Why, I'd be happy to!" Jade beamed. "When do we leave?"

"The day after tomorrow, gives us time to invite other people like Chicken and Lightning." Scott smiled.

"Only if Katrina and Ellody can come with them." Jade said.

"Yes, of course." Scott nodded since they were his best friends' girlfriends and his girlfriend's best friends after all.

"Yeah, I can just text 'em," Jade nodded. "Flem and Earl won't be able to come since they're having a party at Veronica's place."

"That sounds good to me, we'll round up some other people later in the day..." Scott smiled. "Uh, are you babysitting your cousins?"

"Sorta, Aunt Kathy is making her famous muffins." Jade said.

"Muffins..." Scott drooled a bit.

"Don't worry, I'll save ya a couple." Jade promised.

"Sounds great..." Scott smiled. "You're the best, Jade."

"I know I am." Jade giggled.

"Kids! Lunch is ready!" Kathy called out.

"Oh, I gotta go, I'll see ya later." Jade told her boyfriend.

"See ya, Jade," Scott said before hanging up. "Better go see what the gang's doing."

* * *

Meanwhile Lightning, Katrina, and Chicken were playing basketball with Ellody was watching.

"Hey, Light Bulb, less gawkin' and more playin'!" Chicken scolded.

"Shh!" Lightning told him. "I need to sha-focus!"

"You need to focus on the ball before it hits your head!" Katrina said as she had the ball next.

"Shh!" Lightning then shushed her. "Please let me concentrate."

Katrina rolled her eyes and shot the next basket.

"She shoots..." Chicken started.

"She scores!" Katrina finished in delight.

Chicken and Katrina laughed and high-fived each other.

"Aww... No fair." Lightning pouted.

"Should've been payin' attention, Lightning." Chicken laughed at his jock friend.

"This game isn't so hard..." Katrina smiled. "Maybe I should be on the team with Mandy, Numbuh 4, Buttercup, Courage, Dexter, and Eddy."

"I'm surprised that Mandy and Eddy of all people are on the basketball team." Chicken commented.

"Mandy says that gym is a good way for a girl to release any anger she has from other classes." Katrina told her boyfriend.

"And what about Eddy?" Chicken asked. "Last time I checked, he wasn't the athletic type."

"I think he just wants to show off, especially to that Kevin Barr boy." Katrina suggested with a shrug.

"Typical..." Chicken scoffed.

* * *

Scott came to his friends, after they all greeted each other, he then invited them to come visit his cousin in the dude ranch out of town. "So, what do you guys say?" he then asked. "You wanna come with?"

"Sure, Scott, anything's better than being with Courtney," Ellody accepted. "But what about Flem and Earl?"

"They're having a party at Veronica's house for a couple of days." Scott replied.

"So nice that Trixie and Veronica are done with Tad and Chad for good." Ellody smiled.

"I know, right?" Katrina agreed.

"It feels like happy endings are all coming together... Just how Mama would want..." Ellody sighed.

"And Cow won't be there neither 'cuz she's having a spa day with Mom." Chicken added.

"Oh, Chicken, you should be nicer to your sister." Katrina told her boyfriend.

"At least now she won't bother anyone..." Chicken muttered under his breath.

"All right, now that you guys are in, who else should I invite?" Scott wondered.

"Hmm... Maybe The Eds, Mike, June, and Dee Dee?" Ellody suggested. "I hear Mike's girlfriend is in town, I'd really like to meet her."

"Oh, oh, we should invite the Mystery Inc!" Katrina piped up. "I would love to hang to hang out with them again!"

"Ooh, Scott, can we?" Chicken asked since Katrina was happy.

"Sure, what the heck?" Scott shrugged.

"Sha-finally, a vacation." Lightning was relieved.

"Great!" Scott smiled to his best friends.

"And the best of all, no Cow." Chicken said.

"No Courtney." Ellody added.

"And no Sugar!" Jade beamed.

"All right!" Everyone cheered together and thanked Scott.

"I'll call Brianna and let her know." Ellody decided.

"And I'll get Mike and her girlfriend." Scott offered.

"I wonder if we'll get to meet Mike's uncle," Chicken hoped. "From what I heard, he's an ex-gunslinger."

"It wouldn't surprise me." Ellody giggled.

"Wait, Mike has an uncle?" Lightning asked.

Everyone then gave him a deadpan look in response.

* * *

Cindy was in her house and was pretending to be a cowgirl. "I got you!" she then smirked as she lassoed Penn as he was sitting on the couch and reading a book. "Now it's time for ya to go back to the ranch, ya cow!"

"Whatever..." Penn yawned boredily.

Cindy then tried to pull on him. "Come on, get up..."

Penn rolled his eyes, he then stood up and walked behind her. "Okay, okay... Moo..." he then sat down in a pillow fort.

"I'm the best gunslinger of the west!" Cindy said before pewing and pointing her fingers like guns.

"Sure you are." Penn sounded anything but interested.

Cindy giggled. "Okay, now I'll ride on you and you can be my horse."

"Ooh! Ooh! I have an idea..." Penn raised his hand. "How about... No."

"Aww... Why not?" Cindy asked.

"Sorry, Cindy, but I'm not playing with you today..." Penn picked her up and sat on her the couch. "Now, do Uncle Penn a favor and watch TV."

"But there's nothing on but SpongeBob and Teen Titans Go." Cindy pouted.

"Then do something else!" Penn glared.

Cindy pouted and then turned on the TV to watch My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.

"My Little Pony..." Penn shuddered. "Guh..."

"This show's the better one!" Cindy told him. "Look, you're in this episode!"

Penn ignored her and then read his book. "Sure I am..."

"You are! Look!" Cindy pointed.

Penn then ignored her. Cindy frowned to him.

"I think I'm gonna take you to the Plaza Hotel to check out the Eloise suite." Penn rolled his eyes as he read a book.

"How come?" Cindy asked.

"Keep you busy..." Penn rolled his eyes. "There must be something you can do for fun."

There was then a knock at the door and Cindy then answered it with a smile. "Jade, hi!"

"Hi, Cindy, you ever go to a Dude Ranch before?" Jade asked.

"I don't think so... Though, I think I'm a dudette... Whatever Jude called me..." Cindy replied thoughtfully.

"No, no, it's a ranch called the Crazy Q Ranch." Jade told her.

"Oh, okay... That's a weird name," Cindy commented. "So, when do we leave?"

"Depends on when Mystery Inc is free, they offered to drive us, Shaggy and Scooby seemed the most excited." Jade told her.

"I love going out on adventures with Mystery Inc," Cindy giggled. "It's so much fun."

"I like to see you happy, Cindy," Jade smiled back. "Also, Scott has someone waiting for us there by the name of Millie."

"Looking forward to it, Jade." Cindy clapped.

"Sounds good." Jade nodded.

"I hope we get to see Mike's uncle again." Cindy hoped.

"I'm sure we will." Jade nodded.

"Awesome! I'll even bring my best cowgirl outfit." Cindy said.

"You have a cowgirl outfit?" Jade asked in surprise.

"Yep, hold on!" Cindy said before zipping off and coming back wearing a white button-up shirt, a cow spotted vest, brown skirt, black cowboy boots, and a tan cowboy hat.

"Aw, y'all look sweeter than a barrel of sugar with a puppy dog and kitten in the same slipper." Jade smiled.

"Um, thank you?" Cindy replied.

Jade giggled and patted Cindy on the head. "You remind me of when I told Dee Dee some of my stories about growing up in Texas."

"Did you know SpongeBob's squirrel friend?" Cindy asked. "I think her name is Sandy Cheeks."

"I think so, I can't say for sure." Jade shrugged.

"Well, I'm thrilled to be apart of this, I've seen Blazing Saddles with my brother." Cindy smiled.

"I watched that movie with Scott once, it's his favorite." Jade agreed.

"It's silly," Cindy giggled. "I love Mel Brooks."

Jade then pulled out her phone as she received a text message. "It's from Ellody... Looks like Mike and her girl are in too."

"I'm so glad Mike finally has a real girlfriend..." Cindy said in relief. "I mean all those girls wanted Mike... Especially Katie and Sadie..." she then shuddered.

"I better check on the others, you stay out of trouble and I'll see ya around." Jade told her.

"Aye-Aye, Jade," Cindy saluted the country girl. "Let's see if I got everything," she then looked in her backpack. "Yep, that's everything."

* * *

Penn snored as he fell asleep on the couch. Cindy then put his hand in a cup of warm water.

"Don't even think about it." Penn warned.

"Dang it, how does he know?" Cindy pouted.

Penn then put the cup over her head.

"I'm WET!" Cindy yelped.

"You should never mess with me." Penn laughed.

* * *

 ** _Meanwhile..._**

"How do I look?" Katrina asked as she was wearing a black button-up shirt, blue jeans, a red handkerchief around her neck, brown cowboy boots, a brown cowboy hat.

"My Uncle Longhorn Steer would love to be round up by you." Chicken chuckled to his girlfriend.

Katrina laughed and saw her boyfriend wearing his human disguise and wearing a red button-up shirt, blue jeans, brown cowboy boots, a white cowboy hat. "I love your outfit too." she then told him.

"Why, thank you, Senorita~" Chicken chuckled.

"Doesn't your uncle Steer live out in the West?" Katrina asked.

"Yeah, one time he tried to teach me and Cow about the world, but he wasn't very good at it, so we helped him help this cowboy get the steers in a line and he was happy," Chicken explained. "We haven't seen him since, but we get letters once in a while, I think he's happy, but I sure do miss him. He says me and Cow are his favorite niece and nephew, even though he calls me Duck."

"You might see him," Katrina shrugged. "You never know."

Lightning came in wearing a blue button-up shirt, dark blue jeans, with a belt, tan cowboy boots, and a brown cowboy hat. "Aw man, how can people walk in these sha-boots?" he then asked after he fell down.

"Could you zip my jean shorts for me, Lightning?" Ellody asked. "I'm having trouble."

"I'll help you." Katrina offered.

"Thank you, Kat." Ellody replied.

Katrina then zipped Ellody up and Ellody then came out in a black shirt with a white star on it with a silver vest, jean shorts, white boots, a white neckerchief, and a white hat.

"How do I look?" Ellody smiled shyly to the boys.

"Sha-hot!" Lightning wolf whistled. "What a hottie."

Ellody giggled sheepishly and turned beet red.

Scott came in wearing his normal everyday outfit, but he had a brown hat on. "So, everybody ready?" he then asked.

Lightning just kept staring at Ellody.

"Yeah, we're ready." Chicken told him.

Lightning chuckled nervously to his girlfriend. Ellody smirked as she put her glasses on and did a small sexy walk for Lightning. Lightning had a nose bleed from that and then fainted.

"I guess I took that too far..." Ellody pouted.

"Not to worry, watch this." Chicken said before he took out a whistle and blew into it.

"I'm up, Coach!" Lightning's eyes widened as he got back on his feet.

"There we go, now we're all set." Chicken told Ellody.

"And Cindy is all ready as well." Jade added.

"Ride 'em, cowboy!" Cindy giggled as she twirled a lasso.

"Say, where's Mike?" Jade asked.

"She should be coming any minute." Ellody said.

* * *

There was the sound of motorcycle coming that then drove by with a certain couple. Lil giggled from the ride as she hugged Mike's waist while riding on the back while Mike drove the motorcycle.

"Whoa, check it out, someone is riding a motorcycle!" Chicken pointed out.

"Who is it?" Cindy asked. "I can't tell."

Mike then parked the motorcycle and stopped, taking off her helmet and waving her hair.

"Thanks, Mike, you were right, that's better than walking." Lil smiled.

"Thank Toot, it was her idea." Mike replied.

"Wow, Mike, I dig the bike." Cindy commented.

"Thanks, Toot's letting me borrow it." Mike said as she hopped off the motorcycle with Lil.

"I like Toot, she's cool." Lil smiled to her girlfriend.

"She is awesome." Mike agreed.

"Mike, glad you could make it." Cindy said to the tomboy.

"Glad to see you here too, Cindy." Mike nodded.

"It's been getting quite boring around here." Cindy commented.

"That's Cindy, right?" Lil asked.

"Yeah, she's a pretty cool kid sometimes." Mike told her girlfriend.

"Oh, well, hi, Cindy, I hope we can be friends." Lil smiled.

"Me too, I heard a lot about you," Cindy smiled back. "I'm glad you can make Mike happy."

Lil giggled and smiled. "So, uh, how are we getting to this Dude Ranch?"

"The Mystery Machine should be here soon." Jade told her.

"I never went anywhere with Mystery Inc before, is it fun?" Lil asked.

"The best," Mike smiled. "I went on four adventures with them."

"You do know at least who they are, right?" Ellody asked.

"You kidding?" Lil laughed. "Who doesn't know Mystery Inc? Mom loves Daphne's Coast to Coast show."

"You know my friend Brianna Smith?" Mike asked.

"Yeah, she's been with Mystery Inc ever since they were kids." Lil replied.

"And now they have a new member, my other friend: Trent McCord." Mike then said.

"Oh, yeah, didn't he date Gwen Fahlenbock?" Lil asked.

"Yeah, they did, but there was a incident; Heather Wong kissed him right in front of her and on Total Drama Action, he was throwing challeges for her, plus he had an obsession with the number nine because his grandfather died." Mike explained.

"Wow." Lil blinked.

"There's a lot more, but we're gonna be here all day." Mike chuckled.

"Here comes the Mystery Machine." Cindy pointed out.

* * *

Shaggy wore a cowboy hat as he was quite excited about going to the Dude Ranch. Brianna wore a red T-Shirt, a black vest, blue jeans, brown boots, and black cowboy hat, and Trent wore a green button-up shirt, a black neckerchief, brown vest, blue jeans and black cowboy boots.

"Hey, guys, ready to go?" Brianna asked.

"Wait for me!" Lisa came over, wearing her usual outfit, but wore more make-up than usual before smirking to her best friend's boyfriend. "Scott, wanna sit on my lap?~"

"Um... Um... Um... I'm gonna sit next to Jade, okay?" Scott replied nervously before getting into the van real quickly.

"Okay." Lisa pouted as she joined the others into the van.

"Nice ride, Mike." Daphne told the tomboy.

"Thanks, my friend Toot let me borrow it," Mike smirked. "Oh, this is my girlfriend, Lil DeVille." she then introduced.

"Hello." Lil greeted.

"Oh, hi, Lil, it's nice to meet you." Daphne smiled.

"Likewise," Lil smiled back as she shook hands with Daphne. "I heard about you guys on TV."

"Well, thanks," Fred smiled himself. "It's always nice to meet a fan."

Lisa then tried to scoot closer to Scott. Scott looked nervous while Jade looked out the window.

"Hop on, Lil, I'll take us there and we'll follow the Mystery Machine." Mike said as she sat on her motorcycle.

"Keep up, Mike." Fred told Mike.

"Take me with you, please!" Scott begged.

"Sorry, Scott, this can only fit two people." Mike explained.

Scott gulped nervously. Fred then started the Mystery Machine and Mike drove after as Lil held her waist.

" **YEE-HAW!** " Lil called out.


	2. Chapter 2

"You smell really good." Lisa said as she put her head on Scott's lap.

"Jade, are you seeing this?!" Scott yelped.

Jade fell asleep, laying her head against the window.

"Sha-lucky, Scott," Lightning said. "You're a ladies man."

"And you are not helping me!" Scott glared.

Lightning just laughed as he held Ellody in his arm.

Lisa snuggled against Scott's chest and felt his arms. "You have nice, strong arms." she then flirted.

Scott, Cindy, Ellody, Chicken, and Katrina watched this in sheer horror.

"You guys see this, right?" Cindy asked the others.

Ellody, Chicken, and Katrina nodded to her.

"Watching what?" Lightning asked.

"Help... Me." Scott gritted through his teeth.

"Ohhh, I get it now," Lightning replied. "Lisa has a crush on Scott."

Ellody sighed and shook her head at her boyfriend's slowness.

"Come on... Come on..." Scott struggled as he tried to pull Lisa away from him, but she wouldn't budge.

Lisa smirked as she latched onto Scott. "Jade doesn't know it yet, but you'll realize that you belong to me~"

Everyone minus Mystery Inc, Mike, Lil, and Jade looked at Lisa in sheer horror again.

"What?" Scott asked. "Since when?"

"Trust me, it'll be over soon..." Lisa soothed.

Scott shook a chill down his spine.

* * *

 ** _A while along the way..._**

Shaggy and Scooby were soon singing a country song together. Daphne, Brianna, and Trent had their ears covered while Velma was looking at her laptop.

"Like, singing is making me hungry." Shaggy said.

"Everything makes you hungry, Shaggy." Brianna reminded.

"Reah! Everything." Scooby agreed.

"I think this is it." Fred said.

"Let me check," Velma replied. "I got the Dude Ranch site on my tablet. It looks like a nice... Oh, no!"

"What's wrong, Velma?" Brianna asked.

"This is terrible!" Velma moaned before showing them her tablet. "Look at this! They used El Kabong font! The whole website is El Kabong! What is it, a lost kitten flyer?! Using El Kabong is like putting salt in someone's eyes! In everyone's eyes!"

"We had this talk before, Velma," Daphne sighed. "A healthy person does not get upset about fonts."

Brianna took her tablet away and Shaggy handed Velma a paper bag in which she breathed in and out.

"Found one!" Shaggy took a snack out of his backpack.

"Rone?" Scooby asked.

"Rock, Paper, Scissors." Shaggy challenged his Great Dane.

"One... Two... Three-" Shaggy counted.

Scooby ate the snack from Shaggy's hand.

"That's not how Rock Paper Scissors works and you know it!" Shaggy scolded.

"Scooby-Dooby-Doo!" Scooby laughed.

"Silly doggy." Cindy giggled to Scooby's antics.

"Well, on the plus side, this Dude Ranch has fun activities," Scott told the others. "There's roping, riding, and even river-rafting."

"Those are all words you can pronounce, Scooby!" Brianna beamed.

"Roping, riding, river-rafting, ractivities!" Scooby smiled.

"There's a barn dance," Daphne said. "I have the perfect outfit."

"This should be fun as long as my horse allergies dont' act up too much," Velma added. "I hope my medication works."

"Look!" Fred pointed ahead to a sign. "Now entering Sorghum City!"

"One more time!" Shaggy called out before getting ready to sing again.

"Please not one more time." Daphne groaned.

Despite Daphne's protest, the cowardly duo then sang one more time.

* * *

"So, this is it?" Cindy asked.

"Looks like a ghost town around here." Chicken noticed.

"Why don't we just ask for directions?" Ellody suggested.

"Where are we supposed to turn?" Fred wondered.

"I don't know," Velma replied. "Was that B street or-"

"Can't we just ask for directions?" Daphne asked. "Why am I the only one who ever just wants to ask for directions?"

"I'll ask!" Shaggy suggested. "Like, I speak cowboy."

"Shaggy, I think you should leave this to the professionals." Jade said, referring to herself of course.

The Mystery Machine soon stopped which made Mike also stop right behind it.

"This is it?" Lil asked.

"Laramie isn't as bad as this," Mike commented. "This looks like a ghost town."

"Yeah, it really does..." Lil agreed as she hopped off the motorcycle.

Shaggy decided to ask for help from a man who then ran away and screamed in fear. He then tried to ask a woman who came out of a saloon with shopping bags who just ran away, screaming.

"People are scared of Shaggy..." Katrina commented. "That's totally not right."

"I wonder why?" Ellody pondered.

"We're looking for the Crazy Q Dude Ranch." Cindy said to a man who came beside the van.

"Well, what you wanna do is make a left turn there in Elm-" The man began to explain.

"I don't get it," Shaggy walked over. "No one will talk to me."

The man then screamed and ran away.

"Why am I so scary?" Shaggy frowned.

"Maybe it's the hat?" Lil suggested.

"I wouldn't worry about it," Trent replied. "Come on."

Everyone then went into their respective vehicles and went to the Crazy Q Ranch.

* * *

They rode up to a beautiful Victorian-like home.

"This looks like Sabrina Spellman's house." Cindy commented.

Everyone then came out of the Mystery Machine and off the motorcycle.

"Hey, isn't that Reggie's friend, Trish?" Mike asked Lil once she saw an Asian-American girl with long black hair in a green sweater with a Yin Yang symbol on it with boots.

"Yeah, it is..." Lil noticed.

"Wonder why she's here?"

"Beats me."

"Come on, Shaggy." Brianna said.

"No," Shaggy replied as he sat in the van with Scooby beside him. "Everyone screams whenever they see me, so I'm staying right here."

They then closed the van with Shaggy and Scooby inside.

"He'll come around when he's hungry enough." Trent told the others.

"Definitely." Velma agreed.

"Nope," Shaggy declined. "I'm never coming out."

The others rolled their eyes and kept going.

"Is this Shaggy's cousin's house?" Velma asked as they came to the house and saw that there was a family there.

"Scotty!" A girl with long scarlet hair in a green hair bow with a white neckerchief with green polka dots in it in a brown vest with white sleeves, brown pants with a belt that had a star on it and darker brown boots beamed.

"Millie!" Scott replied.

The two ran to each other and hugged.

"Who's that?" Lil asked.

"That's Scott's cousin, Millie." Mike told her.

"Scott has a cousin Millie?" Mike asked in surprise.

"We haven't seen each other in ages," Millie said as she put her arm around Scott. "Daisy couldn't make it?" she then asked about their other cousin.

"I think she said something about her new boyfriend..." Scott shrugged. "We don't see much of her anymore either."

"Who's Daisy?" Lil asked.

"I don't know." Mike shrugged.

There appeared to be a family at the house as well as Reggie's friend Trish who was with other Asian women who looked rather big in build. Velma then began to sneeze as her allergies were flaring up.

An older tan-skinned, blonde-haired woman who was wearing a purple blouse, red shorts, purple slip-ons, and had glasses on, carrying a purse. "Why, hi there!" she greeted. "I'm Midge Gunderson and this is my husband, Andy."

"Howdy, doodle!" A man with short blonde hair and tan skin like his wife in a blue short-sleeved shirt, a white sweater tied over his shoulders, a golden wristwatch, and shorts greeted with a smile. "I'm Andy Gunderson of Gunderson Tanning Bed and Lawnmower Repair, here's my card." he then handed a card to Velma.

Velma took the card and then sneezed.

"Oh, bless you, you got allergies, hon?" Midge soothed as she reached into her purse. "I always carry allergy pills, and antacids, aspirin, oh, is this a cat toy? We don't have a cat!"

"I'm just waiting for them to kick in." Velma replied as she took out her bottled pills.

"Oh, this is my daughter, Debbie-" Midge then decided to introduce her family.

"It's Desdemona now... How many times do I have to tell you?" a crimson-haired teen girl in a black short-sleeved shirt with white sleeves, a black necklace, a dark purple plaid skirt, dark red leggings, and black boots groaned to her mother.

"And my son, Buddy." Midge then said.

A brown-haired young teen who was wearing a white hat, blue hoodie, black pants, and yellow shoes appeared as if on cue after jumping off a rail. "Howdy, y'all," he greeted. "I'm Buddy G at the Crazy Q with my family."

"Oh, Chicken, it's that boy on YouTube that you showed me!" Katrina beamed.

"Angelica always watches your videos," Lil told the viral video celebrity. "She's a big fan of yours."

"Oh, my gosh, it's Buddy G!" Daphne squealed.

"That kid with all the videos?" Cindy asked.

"Oh, well, that's our Buddy," Midge smiled proudly. "Singer, rapper, interweb sensation... Buddy's preforming at the rodeo, but we're also having a little vacation so Buddy can get away from all the pressure of celebrity. He's surprised how crazy his fans can get."

"Oh, my gosh, can I have your autograph?" Daphne came over to Buddy with a smile and pulled Fred's ascot off of him. "Um, here, just sign this!"

"Hmm... Usually, they're a little younger..." Midge smiled to Daphne who then looked sheepish in response.

Daphne backed up nervously with a sheepish giggle.

"Anywhoo, Buddy's really excited to be here and have a chance to really ride a horse," Midge smiled. "Right, Buddy?"

"Here's one, partner." Millie smiled as she brought a horse over with an old man which made Buddy yelp and run away in fear.

"He really loves horses, he just has some issues." Midge whispered to the others.

"Do you think people can't hear you when you do that?" Desdemona deadpanned her mother.

"Don't mind her," Midge still whispered. "She just wants attention now that her brother's famous."

"Everyone can hear you!" Desdemona told her mother.

"She reminds me of Ashlyn's brother." Mike whispered to Lil.

"There's just something I don't trust about horses," Buddy said to the others. "They're like giant rabbits wearing tap shoes, only the tap shoes are used for stomping!"

* * *

There then came two men in suits with pagers.

"This is Dave and David." Midge introduced.

"No, _I'm_ David, _he's_ Dave." The black man said before he took a call and walked off with the white man.

"They're big shot television producers." Midge whispered to the group.

"Seriously! So loud!" Desdemona told her mother until the Asian women came by with Trish.

"Oh, this is Carol and Sharon, they're sisters," Midge told the group. "And that's their niece, Trish."

"Nice to meet you." Carol and Sharon greeted.

"What's up?" Trish added.

"Water, Sharon?" Carol held out a water bottle to her sister.

"Gangway!" Trish ran off as Sharon drank the water, only to spit it out.

Cindy flinched and frowned as she was now soaking wet.

"You got me good that time, Carol," Sharon laughed. "You totally got me!"

"Yeah, I got you, I got you back." Carol replied.

Sharon and Carol then laughed together before glaring to each other.

"I totally got you." Carol said.

The two sisters then laughed again and a horse neighed really bad which worried everyone.

"Oh, no, I think that one is ready to attack us!" Buddy gasped.

The horse was still neighing and galloped away, two men and a teenage boy were watching this. The skinny brown-haired man had one a green and yellow button-up shirt, blue jeans, brown boots, and a brown hat was sitting in the back of the truck. The other man had black hair with a goatee, a red and white button-up shirt, dark blue jeans with a belt, wearing brown boots and a brown hat. The teenage boy had light brown hair, wearing a blue plaid button up-shirt, light blue jeans, black boots, and tan hat.

"Howdy, Crazy Q guests," The short man greeted. "Never mind Buck Stitch, he can't hurt you from behind the fence."

"But stay away from that critter," The tall man added. "He's the meanest, nastiest vermin in these parts."

"They call him Buck Stitch 'cuz when he bucks you off, they have to stitch ya back together." The teen concluded with a laugh.

"By the way, I'm Larry, this is Kyle, and my nephew, Jacob." The short man then introduced.

"He looks like Spirit: The Stallion of the Cimarron." Cindy commented.

"Why, howdy there, little lady," Jacob walked over to Brianna. "I'm glad you could come join us."

"Oh, um, thanks..." Brianna smiled nervously.

"Put your eyes back in your head," Trent warned Jacob. "She's mine."

"Just wanted to greet her," Jacob replied. "Jeez, man, calm down."

"It's called Southern Hospitality..." Cindy added before she wrung her hair from the water. "Ugh... Vinegar."

Velma sneezed. "Hey."

"Howdy ho, little lady," Kyle greeted. "Happy to be here at the Crazy Q?"

Velma then sneezed again.

"And especially a howdy to you, little filly." Larry laughed and went over to Daphne.

"And a howdy hi ho right back at ya, pilgrim." Daphne giggled.

Millie giggled to that, then looked to her cousin. "Come on, Scotty, you can meet Shaggy's cousins here too."

"Swell..." Scott said as he hid away from Lisa who kept cooing at him while Jade didn't seem to notice.

"Uh, Jade?" Ellody spoke up. "Do you know that Lisa is hitting on your boyfriend ever since we got here?"

"Oh, Lisa wouldn't do that, she's always been sweet to boys, even though she fell for that idiot Jeff, he just beats up any other boy who got in between them." Jade dismissed.

"But we're serious as a heart attack." Katrina defended.

"Oh, you guys..." Jade sighed. "Lisa wouldn't do that."

"Believe me, she would." Scott shivered nervously.

* * *

"Mike Mazinsky, is that you?" Trish asked the tomboy. "Reggie told me how she met you and Arnold when you came to Nicktropolis by accident after a boat crash I think it was."

"Yeah, that's me." Mike replied.

"Wow, Reggie was right, you really are a serious tomboy," Trish observed. "I dig the new threads."

"Thanks, Trish." Mike replied.

"You're so lucky, Lil, I have a thing for redheads," Trish said. "Do you have any cousins, brothers, or anyone for me, Mike?"

"Well, there's this one kid I know called Adam Lyon," Mike shrugged. "He's a redhead."

"Is he cool?" Trish asked.

"Yeah, I guess he is, but he goes to an animal school because Lyon's his last name." Mike replied.

Trish laughed as she thought that was the funniest thing she ever heard. "Oh, wait, you're serious?" she then asked.

"Yep, he's friends with a spidermonkey named Jake." Mike confirmed.

"Do you have a picture of him?" Trish asked.

Mike took out her phone and pulled up profiles and showed Trish a picture of a boy about her age with short red hair, freckles, a mustard yellow short-sleeved shirt in green cargo shorts, and brown and white sneakers. "Here he is."

"Ooh, he's cute~" Trish smirked.

"He lives in the city," Mike replied. "You should stop by and see him."

"Oh, I know I will." Trish promised.

Mike smiled to Trish and Trish smiled back to her.

"Sorry about my aunts..." Trish said. "I think they wanna be the next Three Stooges."

"It's all right, I'm used to it," Mike replied. "I hang out with the Eds."

Trish laughed at that then.

* * *

"Anyway, Kyle and Jacob and I will be helping you out during your stay at the Crazy Q." Larry told the others.

"The Q stands for cowboy." Kyle told them.

"Really? I didn't know that." Cindy deadpanned.

"Chicken, doesn't cowboy start with a C?" Katrina whispered to her boyfriend.

"Yes..." Chicken rolled his eyes as he felt his brain go numb. "Lightning's ancestors must run this joint."

"Now that everyone's here, I reckon we could all have ourselves some lunch." Larry decided.

"Lunch?!" Shaggy and Scooby asked. The cowardly duo then came out of the van after hearing the word 'lunch'.

"Never fails..." Cindy commented before giggling.

Everyone then screamed once they saw Shaggy.

"It's the ghost!" Jacob pointed at Shaggy in alarm.

"It's him!" Trish gasped.

* * *

An older man with a beard and a girl with black hair in braids, a pink and white button-up shirt, blue jeans, black boots, and a brown hat came out then with a shotgun.

"There he is, Daddy." The girl said.

"I'm not a ghost!" Shaggy yelped as he put his hands up with Scooby.

"I can fix that." The older man threatened.

Mike saw this and grabbed their guns.

"Hey, give me back my gun!" The girl demanded.

"Look, let's talk about this!" Mike glared. "Shaggy is not a ghost and he would never hurt anyone."

"He's a ghost and he must be destroyed!" The girl replied.

"Look here, um, what's your name?" Mike asked.

"Kimberly." The girl said.

"Look here, Kimberly, Shaggy would never hurt anyone, and he's not a ghost, you have the wrong guy." Mike told her.

"Like, I totally agree with Mike!" Shaggy yelped.

"He's a person." Brianna said.

"Yeah, you should smell his sweat socks." Velma added.

"Reah!" Scooby agreed as he covered his nose.

"Well... Sorry about that..." the man then put down his shotgun.

"He looks just like that ghost that was here last night." David pointed out as he got off his phone until he quickly apologized back on his phone as Dave got rather nervous.

"So that's why everyone was screaming when they saw you, Shaggy." Ellody realived.

"Like, they all thought I was a ghost!" Shaggy added.

"A little tanning will help you with that." Andy advised.

"Yes, it makes you look so much more alive," Midge agreed. "And attractive... Debbie."

"Desdemona! Guh..." Desdemona reminded her mother before folding her arms with a low groan.

"Hang on a second," An older man said. "You must be Norville Rogers."

"Call me Shaggy." Shaggy prefered.

"It's just amazing," The older man replied. "Come with me, Tawny's gotta see this."

Shaggy gulped in response.

"I'd like to have my gun back now!" Kimberly glared at Mike.

"Are you gonna shoot my friends?" Mike glared back at Kimberly.

"No, I won't," Kimberly rolled her eyes. "Just give me my dangum gun back, you city slicker!"

Mike glared and gave Kimberly her gun back, then looked to see what was going on with Shaggy now.


	3. Chapter 3

They then came into the house as a woman with hair like Shaggy's but in a low braid in a sky blue shirt with a black vest, a white hat, with blue jeans and brown boots.

"It's unbelievable." Tawny commented.

"Uncanny." Kimberly added.

"Unreal." Tawny agreed.

"Uncomfortable." Shaggy groaned.

"You look exactly like him." Tawny said.

"Like, who?" Shaggy asked.

"Dapper Jack Rogers!" Tawny told him as she showed a portrait above the fireplace. "Our ancestor, and the greatest outlaw these parts have ever seen!"

Scooby looked at the portrait and saw the resemblance. "Routraw?"

Shaggy gulped at that.

"Whoa, you look just like him, Shaggy." Fred said.'

"It could be you on Halloween." Daphne agreed.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself," Tawny shook hands with Shaggy. "I'm Tawny Rogers, your third cousin twice removed."

"Like, thank you for the invitation, cous." Shaggy laughed.

"Aw, heck," Tawny smiled. "Just an opportunity to get to know your relatives."

"Excuse me, but didn't someone say something about a ghost earlier?" Cindy spoke up.

"Yeah! That guy threatened to turn me into one!" Shaggy pointed to the bigger guy.

"And that girl too!" Mike added while pointing to Kimberly.

"We said we were sorry, get over it!" Kimberly huffed.

"The ghost of Dapper Jack has been terrorizing the town." Tawny told the others.

"Say, cous, who's that girl and that big man?" Scott asked.

"That's Raft and his daughter, Kimberly." Millie told him.

"Anyway, wouldn't a ghost in a ghost town be good for business?" Cindy asked.

"Uh, well, it would, except he shoots green flames and he smells... Very bad." Raft told her.

"Like, how come no one in my family ever mentioned this famous relative?" Shaggy asked.

"Probably because he's famous for bein' a violent gunslinger," Raft told him. "So evil, his ghost has come back to terrorize the whole town."

This caused for Shaggy and Scooby to get scared.

"Well, it looks like we got another mystery on our hands." Fred noticed.

"I should be charging him a dollar every time he says that." Brianna whispered to Trent.

"Oh, man," Shaggy groaned. "I can't believe my most famous ancestor was a outlaw. What if it's in my blood, what if I go bad?! That time in first grade when I stole a cookie, this totally explains it! I'm bad to the bone!"

"Rettle rown, Raggy!" Scooby shook his best friend.

"This reminds me of when we went to Oakhaven." Cindy commented.

"Shaggy, look at me, I know what you mean," Mike coaxed to the cowardly teen. "My Uncle Jess was an ex-gunslinger and look, he at how he turned out, he works at the Sherman Ranch."

This made Tawny and Raft gasp.

"You know Jess Harper?" Raft asked. " _The_ Jess Harper?!"

"Yeah, he's my uncle." Mike explained.

"No way!" Tawny gasped.

"Way way, he's my mother Miranda's brother." Mike nodded.

"Who's he, Dad?" Kimberly asked about Jess Harper.

"He's a famous gun-slinger and a drifter," Raft replied. "And he's wanted for $5,000."

"Where is he then?" Kimberly asked Mike.

"Back in Laramie," Mike told her. "He works at the Sherman Ranch with the owner, Slim and his little brother, Andy."

* * *

Katrina looked out the window as a longhorn steer was leading other steers to make them charge.

Chicken looked with her and gasped. "Uncle Longhorn?!"

"Who?" Cindy asked.

"My Uncle Longhorn..." Chicken whispered. "I hadn't seen him since me and Cow showed him what he was really good at."

"Oh, that makes sense..." Cindy replied. "I guess, but will he recognize you since you're in your human disguise?"

"I'll change back later on." Chicken told her.

"Well, all right if you say so." Cindy shrugged.

"I still can't believe that you're related to Jess Harper." Raft said to Mike.

"He's really hot... I mean sweet!" Cindy said before chuckling nervously. "That's what I was gonna say."

The others glanced at her oddly.

"Uh, why don't you tell us about Dapper Jack Rogers?" Cindy asked Raft.

"The tourists always wanna hear about Dapper Jack..." Raft sighed.

"Yes, sir." Cindy nodded.

"Well..." Raft adjusted his hat as he looked at the portrait. "Dapper Jack Rogers was about the orneriest gust this part of town and terrorized Sorghum City with his ferocious dog: Atlas. They were cattle thieves, bank robbers. They stole from everyone... From old ladies, to orphans, from farmers, to school mobs! He cheated in cards, robbed the Poor Box, and returned his library books late. Jack was always a slave to fashion, legend has it he once shot a man for wearing white shoes after Labor Day! In short, he was the foulest, vilest, lowdown, no account, human being to walk the Earth! And consequently, quite a tourist attraction."

"Did anybody else picture Scooby-Doo as the dog?" Trent asked.

"Uh-huh." Brianna replied.

"You bet." Cindy added.

"I pictured him with a mustache." Shaggy agreed.

"Hmph!" Scooby pouted.

"Yep, Dapper Jack made everyone in this town miserable for years," Kimberly said as she pulled out a book. "Until Sherieff Rufus Carmichael finally took care of him," she then handed the book to Velma. "Carmichael wrote a book that was pretty popular 100 years ago his tale of Dapper Jack is what brought the tourists here in the first place and now, they come here to hear about the legend."

"And also the Crazy Q's fancy website," Raft added as he took out his phone. "Ya see it? Made it myself."

Velma shook angrily at the screen.

"Pretty darn professional, huh?" Raft smiled proudly.

"Yeah, nice font!" Velma growled.

"Yeah, I purely love that El Kabong," Raft smiled. "Whoo-hoo!"

Velma was about to hit him with the book until Daphne blocked her.

"Easy there, Velma." Brianna warned.

"All of this because of a font?" Mike asked.

"Wow, and I thought Chuckie got paranoid easily." Lil commented.

"Good one." Mike laughed.

Lil giggled with Mike.

"Hey, thanks for coming out," Tawny smiled to Shaggy. "I look forward to gettin' to know ya, cousin."

"Yeah, kind of a bummer that our ancestor was such a jerk though, huh?" Shaggy replied.

"Those are just the kinds of stories they tell tourists, Shaggy." Cindy told him.

"We have to dig up more information about Dapper Jack while we're here." Velma decided.

"That's a good idea, Velma." Lil agreed with the brains of Mystery Inc.

"Yer welcome to try, but I've been hearing all about him all my life, I heard nothing good, yet," Tawny replied. "Now, who's ready for some-"

"Lunch, lunch, lunch, lunch!" Shaggy and Scooby chanted as they zipped off.

"Now how did they know I was gonna say 'lunch'?" Tawny asked the others.

"They're pretty much psychic when it comes to food." Fred told her.

"Uh-huh." Brianna agreed.

"How about we sit together, Scotty Poo?" Lisa suggested.

Scott, Lightning, Chicken, Ellody, Katrina, and Cindy's jaws dropped after Lisa said Scotty Poo.

"Oh, Lisa, you're such a kidder." Jade giggled to her best friend since childhood.

"I don't think she's kidding." Cindy said.

"Scotty Poo?!" Chicken gasped.


	4. Chapter 4

Soon enough, it was time for bed. Cindy was using her phone to talk with her parents while everyone was unpacking and getting ready for bed.

"Everything is fine, Mom," Cindy replied. "Yeah, we're here already."

Shelly asked a bunch of questions and Cindy yes'd and no'd her mother.

* * *

Scott was unpacking his stuff since he was sharing a room with Lightning and Chicken. He looked around makes sure that Lisa wasn't there and he sighs in relief. "Phew!"

Chicken soon turned back into his, well, chicken self and he was going out the window to see if the longhorn steer he saw earlier was in fact, his Uncle Longhorn.

"That man Jo is gonna be so jealous when he sees that Lightning learned how to be a cowboy." Lightning bragged.

"Lightning, we had this talk before," Chicken scolded. "Jo is a girl, not a guy."

Lightning was about to say something, but Scott stopped him.

"The next words that come out of your mouth better be an understanding, otherwise you're gonna give me a migraine." Scott warned Lightning.

Lightning then nodded before looking curious. "Is there really a ghost here?" he then asked.

"That, is what we have to find out." Scott said before yawning.

There was then a howl heard.

"What was that?!" Lightning yelped.

Scott rolled his eyes.

"I'll be back later, see you guys in a bit." Chicken said before sneaking out the window.

"See ya." Scott and Lightning told him.

* * *

Chicken went back into his chicken form and then came to the fences as the longhorn steers were settling in for the night. "Uncle Longhorn, is that you?" he then called out to the steers.

"Chicken," Longhorn greeted. "Is that you, my favorite nephew?"

"Yeah, it's me." Chicken laughed.

"Oh, Chicken, it's been too long," Longhorn smiled as he then hugged his chicken nephew. "I haven't seen you and Cow since you guys brought me here after I failed as a professor."

"I know," Chicken replied. "We miss you so much."

"So, what're you doing out here?" Longhorn asked.

"I'm visitin' with my friends and girlfriend." Chicken told him.

"Flem and Earl?" Longhorn asked since Chicken mentioned he was with his friends.

"They couldn't make it because they went to a party at Veronica's house," Chicken replied. "I'm with my other friends: Scott Wallis, Lightning Jackson, Ellody Garcia, and Jade Summers."

"So nice that you have a girlfriend, is she a chick?" Longhorn teased.

"No, her name's Katrina Andre." Chicken said before he took out his phone and showed a picture of his girlfriend to his uncle.

"Oh, she's a human?" Longhorn asked.

"Not exactly a human." Chicken replied.

"What is she?" Longhorn asked.

"Uh, you ever hear of werecats?" Chicken asked.

"Uh, I've only heard of 'em, but I don't know any..." Longhorn shrugged.

"Well, she's one, she's also descended from Simone Lenoir, but she's good, I promise." Chicken told his uncle.

"She does look pretty as a human... I'd hate to see her as a monster." Longhorn chuckled.

"Yeah, she lived in the wild all her life, she's trying to adjust to human life." Chicken explained.

"What is she?" Longhorn asked.

"Uh, you ever hear of werecats?" Chicken asked.

"Uh, I've only heard of 'em, but I don't know any..." Longhorn shrugged.

"Well, she's one, she's also descended from Simone Lenoir, but she's good, I promise." Chicken told his uncle.

"So I see..." Longhorn said. "Great shot, son, how about your sister?"

"I don't think anyone's ever gonna get Cow off my back." Chicken scoffed.

"Maybe I can get her a bullfriend." Longhorn suggested.

"You think they'd wanna date her?" Chicken asked.

"Doesn't hurt to try." Longhorn replied.

Chicken shrugged.

"So, you guys hear about a ghost?" Longhorn asked. "I don't believe in ghosts until I see living proof."

"I don't think a living ghost is possible, Uncle Longhorn," Chicken replied. "I mean, we met different ghosts. Mike's aunt is a ghost... Danny Phantom's a ghost..."

"I don't believe in any ghosts unless I see 'em, though the others seemed to be spooked of that friend of yours, Shaggy Rogers." Longhorn told his nephew.

"Shaggy is afraid of his own shadow." Chicken replied.

"Oh, I know some people like that." Longhorn chuckled.

"Yeah." Chicken laughed as he bonded with his uncle.

* * *

Meanwhile, Mike was unpacking her suitcase and Lil was doing the same since they were sharing a room together.

"Thanks again for letting me come." Lil said to her girlfriend.

"Oh, it's no problem, you needed a break from school and Java Lava..." Mike said as she hung up her jacket.

"I just hope Chuckie can run the place okay on his own." Lil said as she sat on the bed.

"So, are he and Rhonda a couple now?" Mike asked with a smirk.

"Yeah, they are," Lil replied. "Everybody in school was surprised and shocked."

"Good, I guess my advice worked." Mike said.

"How'd you learn such good advice?" Lil asked.

"Mostly from Jen and Jamie who learned from Mom and Dad of course." Mike smiled.

"Wow, your parents sound really cool." Lil said.

"Yeah, they are." Mike agreed.

"You ever think about them?" Lil lay down on her bed as she stared out the window. "Like... You ever think they're watching you?"

"Jamie says they're in the stars..." Mike pointed into the sky. "Every night when I go to bed without turning into a werewolf, they're smiling down at all of us."

"And you're pretty popular back home, aren't you?" Lil asked.

"Yeah, because of my parents were really famous and I was born these powers so I can protect and help my friends and family." Mike explained.

"I just wish I could've met them." Lil told her girlfriend.

"Me too, you would like them, it's hard losing your loved ones," Mike sighed. "Me losing my parents, Sky losing Aunt Theresa, Jo lost her real family, Justin and Justine lost their dad, and Justine lost her new best friend..."

"I would imagine so..." Lil agreed. "I'm sure that Tommy and Dil's and Angelica's dads felt the same way when they lost their mother."

They then heard screaming and laughing.

"What was that?" Lil wondered.

"I don't know, but we better find out." Mike suggested.

Lil slid off the bed into her slippers and ran with Mike outside of the ranch house to see what was going on.


	5. Chapter 5

There was green fire everywhere and everyone was screaming, as someone was on the roof causing this.

" **IT'S THE GHOST OF DAPPER JACK!** " Cindy yelped as she jumped into Mike's arms.

Mike narrowed her eyes. "So I see..."

"Protect me, Honey Bunny." Lisa hugged Scott tight much to his dismay.

"Get off of me!" Scott complained.

Dapper Jack shoot his guns at Dave who backed away.

"No, not in the face, aaaugh!" Dave yelped as he jumped over the gate and ran away.

Dapper Jack laughed and keep shooting green fire from his guns.

"May I just go ahead and faint?" Cindy asked.

"Not yet, we got a job to do." Mike said.

"I was afraid she would say that..." Cindy groaned.

Lil went back into the house to change back to her normal clothes and came back. "Let's do this." she said as she tied her shoes.

"Aw, I liked the pajamas better." Mike pouted.

"Sorry, Mike, but I can't challenge anyone in my PJ's," Lil replied. "But you'll see me in them later."

Dapper Jack laughed as he shot green flames around everyone while invading.

" **THE GHOST! IT'S REAL!** " Longhorn panicked as he hid away with his fellow steers.

"The ghost is real!" Chicken cried out.

"Save yourselves!" Longhorn told the other steer before running for his life.

"I never thought I'd say this, but we need Super Cow." Chicken deadpanned.

" **EVERY MAN, WOMAN, AND LIGHTNING FOR THEMSELVES!** " Lightning cried out before he jumped into Ellody's arms.

"You can't chase me, I'm a relative!" Shaggy called out as he ran with Scooby.

Jess soon overheard some things going on and looked out the window, he then rushed inside his own house and took out a rope as he then rode on a horse go towards the chaos.

"I'm not ready to die yet." Cindy said as she hugged Brianna.

"Aw, man," Fred groaned as he got trapped in a net. "I should've gone with The Amazing Net."

* * *

There were horse gallops heard.

"What's that?" Lil wondered.

Mike looked ahead and gasped. "Uncle Jess!"

"Uncle who?" Scott, Chicken, and Lightning asked.

Jess twirled his lasso and threw it out to capture the ghost of Dapper Jack. Dapper Jack then growled and shot a green flame out from his gun.

Jess hopped up to avoid the flame and grabbed the ghost in his lasso. "Got ya, ya varmint!"

"Uncle Jess!" Mike beamed.

"Howdy there, Michelene, oh, sorry, Mike..." Jess smiled and tipped his hat to his niece.

"It's okay." Mike laughed as she was so happy to see her uncle.

"Is it safe to come out?" Cindy asked as she was hiding in the bushes.

"Yeah, come on out, Cindy." Mike told her.

Cindy came out. "Man, I almost ruined my good pajamas..." she then muttered to herself until she looked up and gasped. "Mike's Uncle Jess!" she then took out a paper bag and hyperventilated into it before her eyes lolled in her head and she fell in the middle of the ground.

"Is she okay?" Jess asked.

"She'll be fine," Mike said. "Great to see ya, Uncle Jess."

"Great to see you too, ah, when you smile, you look just like your mama." Jess smiled.

"Um, guys, I hate to ruin this family reunion, but the ghost is gone." Scott said after he noticed that the ghost was gone.

"What?!" Jess yelped. "That's impossible!"

"He must've evaporated." Lil guessed.

"Dangum it!" Jess pouted.

"He's a ghost!" Lightning told the others. "I'm tellin' ya he's a ghost!"

"Now, before you all get up in arms... Lightning might be right... I mean, we've faced crazy stuff like this before." Ellody said to the others.

"I agree with her, I should know..." Jess agreed with the genius girl.

"But what can we do?" Lil asked. "I mean, none of us are Danny Phantom and don't have a thermos to get rid of him."

"Maybe he isn't a ghost?" Katrina suggested.

"Cindy, did you bring your laptop?" Mike asked.

"Never leave home without it." Cindy slowly woke up.

"Great..." Mike came up to her face. "You got some homework to do."

"Yes, sir, I mean ma'am." Cindy replied.

"Has anyone seen Fred?" Brianna asked.

"Yer friend's over there." Millie pointed to Fred as he was trapped in a net.

"I'm disappointed in you, Net Master 3000." Fred angrily pouted.

"Wait a minute," Millie came up to the black-haired man with a gasp. "You're Jess Harper from Laramie, what are you doing here?"

"I heard my niece and her friends were in trouble." Jess said, putting his arm around Mike.

"Wait... Yer a girl?" Millie asked the tomboy.

"Yes, that's a long story, but this is my Uncle Jess." Mike smiled up to Jess.

"Mike's a girl?" Lightning asked out of shock.

Everyone else soon groaned and face-palmed.

"Oh, Scotty Poo, you're okay!" Lisa cooed as she hugged the former devious teen.

Scott groaned to her.

"Oh, Lisa, I'm so glad yer safe..." Jade smiled to her best friend. "Aw, Lisa's hugging you... That's adorable."

"No, it isn't!" Scott told his girlfriend. "She's obsessed with me!"

"I was worried about you, Honey Bunny~" Lisa cooed.

"Oh, Lisa's just being nice..." Jade soothed.

"Um, Jade?" Cindy tugged on the girl's nightgown. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but your best friend is clearly stalking your boyfriend."

"Y'all must got some pheromones in ya, cous." Millie smirked teasingly to Scott.

"First Sugar, now Lisa, what's next, that Kimberly girl?!" Scott groaned.

Millie couldn't help but giggle to Scott's overreaction.

* * *

Jade looked from Cindy to Scott and Lisa and felt suspicious of her best friend now. "I think we should share a room together, Lees." she told her best friend.

"Can Scotty come with us?" Lisa asked hopefully.

"No." Jade declined.

"Aw, okay." Lisa replied.

Everyone then put their pajamas back on and went off to bed.

"Good night." Fred said.

"Night." Daphne and Velma replied.

"Shaggy, Scooby, are you guys going to bed?" Brianna asked as she was going to share a room with Cindy.

"Like, we'll take the first watch." Shaggy said as he hid with Scooby while holding a plunger for protection.

"Suit yourselves..." Brianna shrugged before going into the room and shutting the door behind her.

Shaggy and Scooby looked at each other nervously as they heard howling.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning came sooner than anyone knew.

"Rise and shine, partners!" Millie called out. "It's morning!"

"Five more minutes, Ma!" Chicken called back.

"Why is it still dark?" Shaggy muffled as he had the plunger stuck on his face.

Scooby then took the plunger off of him.

Shaggy shook his head back to normal. "Thanks, buddy."

Everyone soon came out, wearing their regular clothes.

"You're relcome." Scooby smiled.

"Quit fooling around, guys," Trent said. "We've got some detective work to do."

"Count me out!" Shaggy said and Scooby nodded in agreement. "I've had enough ghosts and not enough sleeping."

The cowardly duo then went to sleep on the couch.

"Should I say it?" Trent smirked.

"Go ahead." Fred allowed.

"Ahem!" Trent cleared his throat. "Breakfast!"

Shaggy and Scooby soon zipped out of the house to get something to eat.

"That's a good wake up call for them." Cindy chuckled.

"Velma, Brianna, Ellody, Cindy, and I will talk to Tawny to see what we can find out." Daphne suggested.

"Take Lisa too, please!" Scott begged her.

"Oh, Scotty, you're so funny." Lisa giggled.

Scott groaned in response.

"Can I get some breakfast first?" Cindy asked.

"Go right ahead, Cindy, we'll wait for you." Velma replied.

Cindy smiled as she then moved out to get herself some breakfast.

"And we'll talk to the eggs and see what we can bacon." Shaggy laughed.

* * *

Raft and Kimberly were talking to the cook as he had a buffet table full of the breakfast food.

"This is way too much food." Kimberly said.

"Most of our guests left because of the ghost." Raft added.

"We have a lot of other guests, but this is way too much." Kimberly agreed with her father. "Who's gonna eat all of this?"

Cindy licked her lips as she rubbed her hands together and was ready to eat some breakfast.

"The recipe said to cook for a hundred people, I only know how to follow the recipe." The cook replied.

The group minus Daphne, Velma, Brianna, Ellody, and Lisa came over to the breakfast buffet table.

"Howdy, breakfast." Shaggy laughed.

"Oh, no, you don't, Shaggy, I'm eating breakfast!" Cindy told the cowardly teen as she was quite hungry.

"Like, okay, Cindy, you can go first." Shaggy said.

"Thank you." Cindy replied.

Shaggy and Scooby looked very hungry as Cindy made up her own plate.

"Can you divide?" Kimberly suggested to the cook.

" **I AM A COOK, _NOT_ A MATHOLOGIST!** " The cook snapped.

"I know how you feel, sir, I hate Math, but Ellody tutors me." Cindy told the cook.

"Look, all we're saying is that all this food will go to waste." Kimberly told the cook.

Shaggy and Scooby soon all of the other food left.

"What the heck?" Kimberly asked.

"They're always hungry." Trent said.

"At least I got to eat something this time." Cindy said as she ate her bacon.

"Like, can we have seconds?" Shaggy asked.

"Reah!" Scooby agreed. "Reconds!"

* * *

"You guys sure like to eat." Kimberly came to Fred, Trent, Shaggy, and Scooby.

"The four of you ate _all_ that food?" Raft asked.

"No, we tried to take a piece of bacon, but he bit us." Fred replied.

"You should train your dog not to bite you." Kimberly advised.

"Not the dog." Fred said before pointing to Shaggy.

"Dang..." Kimberly bit her lip.

"Yeah." Trent nodded.

"Aw, poor Trent..." Brianna cooed to her boyfriend.

"Like, man, I tried to warn you not get close to me when it comes to food." Shaggy reminded.

"You heard the guest, whip up another batch." Raft told the cook.

"Do I need to divide by anything?" The cook glared.

Shaggy and Scooby were licking their plates clean.

"Great cooking!" Shaggy smiled up to the cook.

"Actually, can you multiply?" Kimberly asked.

The cook sighed as he seemed to have a lot of work to do.

"At least this isn't the Moon Cafe, Yuckie Duck is strict about Shaggy and Scooby." Cindy commented.

Raft turns around and bumps into someone. "Oh, I'm sorry, pardon me, I-" he then gasped once he saw who had bumped into. "Great Caesar's Ghost! You're... You're... _The_ Jess Harper!"

"Howdy." Jess smiled and tipped his hat.

"Well, tan my buns! What're ya doin' here?" Raft asked.

"I heard my niece and her friends were having some sort of trouble, so I decided to come over." Jess said before smiling to Mike.

"That's _the_ Jess Harper that you told me about, Dad?" Kimberly asked Raft.

"That's him alright, it's so great to see ya way out here, Jess." Raft smiled to the black-haired man.

"Golly, _the_ Jess Harper, right here in this ranch!" Kimberly felt amazed.

Tawny and Millie were cleaning up the inside of the house as some furniture had been knocked over and/or broken up.

"Thanks for helping me, Millie." Tawny said.

Tawny and Millie smiled to this.

"That's my name, don't wear it out." Jess chuckled.

"Mike, I thought your mother's maiden name was Wolfe?" Lil asked her girlfriend. "How come Jess's last name is Harper and your mom's last name is Wolfe?"

"He was adopted by the Harpers in Texas," Mike explained. "When he was really young, he ran away from home. His real home."

"Oh, I see," Lil said before looking to Jess. "What happened to your adoptive family?"

"Died in a fire, I was the only survivor." Jess replied.

"Oh, my..." Lil frowned. "I'm so sorry to hear that."

"Yeah..." Mike sighed.

"It's a hard knock life for all of us." Jess said.

"I'm honored that you let me be apart of this family and I hope someday in the future, much more." Lil smiled.

"I told you she was perfect." Mike smiled to Jess about dating Lil.

Lil's stomach soon growled and she blushed while smiling sheepishly.

"I better get some food with Lil." Mike told her uncle.

"Totally understood." Jess nodded. "You kids be careful now."

"We will," Mike replied. "Care to join us?"

"Maybe later." Jess said.

Mike hugged Jess before going out with Lil. Velma sniffled and sneezed as her allergies had gotten much worse today.

"Did your uncle say 'totally'?" Lil asked.

"Sonya's slang must've gotten to him." Mike replied.

"Well, I'm full," Cindy said. "I'm going inside with Daphne, Velma, Brianna, and Ellody to see what we can find out."

"Okay, Cindy, stay out of trouble." Mike told her.

"You know I will." Cindy replied.

Mike and Lil then went off together to get some food. Chicken was back in his human form and yawned after he had spent most of the night catching up with his Uncle Longhorn.

* * *

"This has been abandoned Sorghum City for quite a spell." Tawny said.

"Since the ghost showed up, it's gotten even worse." Millie added.

"We've seen lots of boarding ships since we got here." Ellody informed.

"Ugh..." Velma sneezed. "I think my allergy medication is starting to wear off."

"This doesn't sound fair or any fun for your home." Cindy said to Tawny and Millie.

"No, it isn't." Brianna agreed.

"Don't worry, we'll help in any way we can." Ellody added.

"Right, Lisa?!" Jade firmly asked her childhood best friend.

"Oh, you know how helpful I am, Jade~" Lisa smiled. "I watch over Dexter and Dee Dee all the time..." she then sighed. "I just wish I had a boyfriend like you... Jeff is just a pile of dirt."

"You'll find one someday." Jade promised her.

"I can't leave here..." Tawny sighed. "I..."

"Hey," Daphne comforted her. "We'll get to the bottom of this ghost thing, it'll be okay."

"Ya know, ya might be able to find out more about Dapper Jack in town." Tawny suggested.

Velma soon sneezed so hard that it knocked her glasses off her face and her medicine out of her pocket.

"That's a good idea." Brianna agreed with Tawny.

Velma glared as she was on her hands and knees to get her glasses and medicine.

"Also, it might be a good idea to get Velma away from the you-know-whats." Tawny then whispered.

"Horses! You can say it!" Velma glared. "I'm not allergic to the word! Horses! Horses! Hor-WAAACHOO! Oh, my gosh, I think I am allergic to it."

Daphne, Velma, Brianna, Ellody, Lisa, and Cindy then went to go into town. Everyone else was getting some breakfast.

"Can I go to town with the others?" Trish asked her aunts.

"Did you eat breakfast?" Carol asked.

"Yeah." Trish replied.

"Then go right ahead." Sharon told their niece.

"Thanks!" Trish beamed and went off.

"Have a good time, sweetie." Carol and Sharon smiled to their niece.

"See ya!" Trisha replied as she went to join the others in town. "Hey, guys, wait up!"

* * *

Everyone was getting breakfast. Carol laughed as she put 'Kick Me' sign back of her sister's shirt.

"Hmm... I don't know which is better," Jess smiled as he ate the food. "This or Sonya's food."

Scooby made a huge pancake sandwich with eggs, jelly, and even fish as he then began to chomp at it. Shaggy then took his pancake stack on both ends and ate down the pancakes all at once.

"So, what're you fellas gonna do today?" Midge smiled to Fred as he ate his breakfast quietly.

"We-" Fred started.

"We're gonna rent canoes." Midge interrupted him.

"I don't know, Midge," Andy said to his wife. "There's rapids on that river."

"It's okay," Buddy said as he showed his parents a map. "It says if you stay to the right, it's safe. Just don't go to the left at the fork."

"Well, I haven't left anything on my fork yet." Andy smirked.

Midge and Andy then laughed out loud.

"Oh, shoot!" Midge smirked.

"Ya hear that?" Andy smirked to his family. "When I said I haven't left anything on my fork yet?"

Desdemona groaned and face-palmed.

"Yeah, I heard it, Dad." Buddy was even annoyed.

"Classic me." Andy smileed.

"You know, Quiet Time can be nice too!" Buddy told his father. "We should have more quiet time!"

"Ugh! How can you stand them?" Desdemona asked her little brother.

"Having a million fans helps." Buddy smirked.

"Oh, there's the stagecoach," Midge smiled as she wrapped her arm around Fred just as he was about to eat. "We might take a ride on that, that looks like fun!"

* * *

Jacob, Kyle, Larry, and a familiar red-haired girl then approached the group.

"Morning, Crazy Q guests," Larry greeted. "I'd like to introduce Kyle's niece Wendy; she went to Mascot School."

"Mike!" Wendy beamed before hugging the tomboy.

"Oh, hey, Wendy," Mike smiled to the girl. "I thought you seemed familiar. Where's Little Debbie?"

"Visiting her grandma," Wendy replied. "I come here every summer to visit my Uncle Kyle."

Lil's left eye soon twitched.

"Isn't this cool?" Wendy smiled to Mike. "We get spend some time together."

"Uh, well, Wendy, that's nice, but you should know something." Mike said.

"What's that?" Wendy asked.

"Wendy... This is Lil,..." Mike pulled Lil over. "She's my girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?" Wendy whimpered. "I like you a lot after you saved me from my daddy's co-workers."

"Aw, man, please don't cry, I hate it when girls cry, uhh..." Mike tried to think of a way to save herself.

"Mike will take you out on a date." Lightning said.

"What?!" Mike and Lil yelped.

"Really? That's awesome!" Wendy beamed.

"Uhh..." Mike wasn't sure how to react since that was so sudden.

"Oh, Mike, no wonder you're so popular, you're such a good friend!" Wendy beamed.

"Uhh...?" Mike blinked.

"You're the best!" Wendy squealed.

"Wendy, come on over here and get some food now." Kyle called out to his niece.

"Coming!" Wendy beamed and skipped over to him.

"What the heck, Lightning?!" Mike glared.

"What did I do?" Lightning asked.

"You're making me date Wendy!" Mike glared. "I like Wendy, but not in that way, I'm in love with Lil! You can't be that stupid!"

"Yeah, I don't think Twister could be that dumb as you." Lil agreed.

"How am I supposed to know?" Lightning pouted. "Nobody ever tells me nothing."

"Why don't you just make it as a friend date?" Katrina suggested. "You two can catch up with each other just like old friends?"

"I dunno about that, Katrina..." Lil folded her arms. "Wendy seems like a nice girl, but she seemed to be crushing on Mike."

"Mind if Kyle, Jacob, and I join you for breakfast?" Larry asked. "Right after our morning work-out of course."

Kyle lassoed his rope, jumping in and out of the rope. Larry juggled horseshoes and put them in his hat. Meanwhile, Jacob did both which had made Wendy swoon over.

"If you ask me, I think she's starting to have a crush on Jacob." Trent whispered to Mike about Wendy.

"As much as I like Wendy as a friend, I kinda hope Jacob distracts Wendy from her affections to me." Mike said to Trent.

Everyone was impressed by their performance.

"I could do that; I just don't wanna do it right now." Fred grumbled.

"Uncle Larry, look at that gentleman over there," Jacob pointed to the black-haired man. "Isn't that the ex-gunslinger Jess Harper from the stories you told me 'bout?"

"That's him all right." Larry told his nephew.

"He's worth like $5,000." Kyle added.

"Would he be worth anything now?" Jacob asked.

"I don't know, boy, but let's act casual," Larry said before clearing his throat. "Let's get a move on, boys, we got some shoein' to do after breakfast."

This interested Fred.

"Well, hold on there," Kyle said. "I ain't even gotten started on my catfish."

"Well, quit yer jawin' and eat then." Larry replied.

"My shoein' finger is feelin' itchy." Jacob said.

Fred then cleared his throat. This then made the boy look at the blonde boy.

"Say fellas, I know a thing or two about shoeing," Fred smirked. "Mind if I join you later?"

"Huh, you don't say," Larry smirked back. "You fast?"

"Fast? I'll say," Fred chuckled. "Fastest shoer in the West."

"We could use a hand like that," Jacob said. "Meet us at the barn later."

"Sounds great, that stake isn't gonna know what hit it." Fred replied.

The three gave him strange looks and soon walked off with their food.

"I was the horseshoe legion champ back in Camp Little Moose," Fred smirked to Shaggy. "I'll teach these cowboys a thing or two."

"Can't talk," Shaggy said while eating. "Food."

"This won't end well." Lil commented.


	7. Chapter 7

Eventually, everyone finished eating their food.

"Mike, I'm gonna snoop around this place," Jess told his niece. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"Me too, Uncle Jess," Mike agreed with her uncle. "I'm going to Fred to help them."

"Be careful." Jess advised.

"You too." Mike nodded.

Mike and Jess shared an uncle/niece hug together before splitting up to go their separate ways.

Fred looked into a barrel.

"Any idea what we're looking for?" Scott asked.

"Clues." Fred replied.

"Great." Chicken said.

"So, I'll see if I can find anything clue-shaped then." Shaggy stated.

Scooby looked up.

"Come on, Scoob," Shaggy smiled as he put his hat on. "Let's see what you can sniff up!"

"Reah! Reah! Rlues!" Scooby smiled back as he sniffed like the dog he was and he then saw a pair of feet. "Ruh?"

"Hey there, little pony." An old man said.

"Rony?" Scooby asked.

"How'd you get out? There, there, little pony, it's okay," The old man said as he grabbed a saddle. "Come with old Zeke; I'll take you back to the barn."

"Whoa there, partner," Mike stopped the old man. "Scooby's not a horse, he's a pedigree Great Dane."

"Reah," Scooby agreed. "Redigree."

"This is a dog?" Zeke asked out of confusion. "Gah... Why should I listen to a talking tree or candy cane anyway?"

"Uh, what?" Shaggy asked.

"It's a joke son, because of my near-sightedness." Zeke explained.

Shaggy and Mike could only look to each other in confusion. They both just shrugged to each other.

"Is this something?" Scott asked as he picked up something before the saddle was on his back as he was on his hands and knees. "Hey, what's the big idea?!"

"Here you go, little pony." Zeke said before holding out an apple to Scott.

"Uh, thanks, but I already had breakfast and I'm not a pony!" Scott replied.

"Consarnit!" Zeke complained as he took the saddle then. "Could you point me in the general direction of the stables?"

Everyone then pointed to the right.

"Much obliged." Zeke replied as he went to the wrong direction.

"Hey, guys, I found some powder in the grass," Scott said. "It's like some sort of tiny crystals."

"Like, what could that be?" Shaggy wondered.

"I don't know, some kind of fertilizer?" Fred shrugged.

"Maybe Tawny will know what it is." Trent suggested.

* * *

They then came to Tawny to see if she could help them.

"Looks like florid acid," Tawny observed. "We use it as a pesticide. But I dunno why it would've been where ya found it, that's right peculiar."

"Do you know if anyone has a grudge against you or the ranch?" Katrina asked.

"Oh, I sure hope not," Tawny frowned. "We're struggling enough as it is. I've worried about losin' the ranch for a long time. It's the only home I've ever known. This ghost is just the last straw."

"Well, don't worry, we'll take care of it." Lil promised.

"Thanks, partners," Millie replied. "We could use all the help we can get."

"I'm not afraid of any ghost, right, Scoob?" Shaggy asked.

"Reah," Scooby replied. "Re reither."

Carol moaned and groaned as she had a bucket on her head and she was covered in white paint as she wandered around. Shaggy and Scooby screamed and jumped into Jess's arms as he was coming back.

"I got you! I got you good!" Carol teased her sister.

Sharon took the bucket off her head with a smirk. "You totally got me! You got me good!"

The two sisters soon laughed to each other.

"And I'll get you a mop and cleaning rags so you can clean up that paint." Millie said firmly.

"She totally got us." Carol and Sharon walked away while pouting.

The Gunderson family soon came into a carriage.

"Hey, ain't you the cook?" Chicken asked the driver.

"Well, I'm also the stagecoach driver." The cook replied.

"Sorry about that," Shaggy told the others after the cook dropped them. "I just wish there was something I could do. If only Dapper Jack hadn't been so evil, maybe people wouldn't be so afraid of him."

"We'll figure this out, Shag, don't worry." Mike promised.

"Like, I sure hope you're right, Mike." Shaggy replied.

"Trust me on this one." Mike said.

"Hogwash!" Zeke muttered. "The whole town has been nuked around the legend of Dapper Jack! But that's all it is, a legend, it's all just a bunch of stories, but it's not true... None of it!" he then began to brush against the stables. "Take it from someone who knows the truth."

"Uh, do you know you're brushing a fence?" Mike asked.

"No good talkin' candy cane." Zeke grumbled.

* * *

 ** _Meanwhile in town..._**

People all over were getting ready to leave as it looked like a literal ghost town now. The girls, minus Mike, Lil, and Katrina noticed everyone is putting signs up.

"What kind of museum sells bait?" Ellody asked.

"One that's near fishin' and wants to make money?" Jade guessed.

"Well, yeah, it's a tourist town, come on." Cindy added.

"Actually, why don't you, Velma, and Ellody see what you can learn about Dapper Jack in there and Daphne and I can ask the local merchants?" Jade suggested as she looked at a dress shoppe.

"Daphne, you want that outfit, don't you?" Cindy asked.

" **IT'S SO CUTE!** " Daphne gushed.

"Oh, my gosh, it totally is!" Lisa agreed.

"All right, fine." Brianna gave in.

Daphne and Lisa squealed out of excitement.

"Just don't take too long." Ellody told them.

"Come on!" Daphne giggled as she ran with Lisa into the shop.

"I better go in there too." Jade decided as she followed the two girls.

* * *

Brianna, Ellody, Cindy, Velma, and Trish soon went inside of the museum.

"Hello? Hello!" Velma called out.

"Oh, hi," Cindy said as she saw the clerk putting worms into a cup. "We have some questions."

"$5 to look all you want, flash photography's okay, but no video." The clerk replied.

"Well, here's my money, but we're curious about Dapper Jack." Velma said as she held out a five dollar bill.

"Dapper Jack was the foulest, vilest, lowest, lowdown, dirtiest, no account human being to ever walk the Earth, and you will find many fascinating artifacts of his life and times presented herein," The clerk replied. "$5, flash photography's okay, but no video."

"No, no, I got that, but we're just wondering if you could tell us more about him." Velma put her dollar down.

"Lady, this is what we got," The clerk told her. "You got money, you go through the stuff, that's it."

Some of the worms fell onto Cindy's face which made her squirm nervously.

"Come on, there must be more to the museum than that." Ellody told the clerk.

"Yeah, there's bait," The clerk replied. "Night crawlers or red worms?"

The doors soon opened to show Daphne and Lisa in their new cowgirl outfits.

"Howdy, partners!" Daphne called out.

"Looking good, Daph." Brianna said.

"Thanks." Daphne smiled.

"Phew!" Jade said as she came into the shop as well in relief. "I've never seen them shop like that."

"Well, howdy, ladies." The clerk smiled brightly as he handed the can of worms to Cindy.

Cindy shuddered nervously.

"Exhibit's $5, look all you want, flash photography and video are okay." The clerk told the girls.

"You told us no video!" Velma folded her arms with a glare.

The clerk glared at the girl.

Daphne winked and pulls out five dollars and then cleared her throat. "I was wondering if you could tell us more about Dapper Jack~"

"I don't know much myself, ma'am," The clerk smiled as he took the money from her and put it in his pocket. "You can look around back if you'd like. There's some stuff from the exhibit."

"Why, thank you kindly." Jade replied as she slammed the table on his fingers.

"You're right welcome-OW!" The clerk groaned and pulled out his hand. "Man, look at that... That ain't gonna heal right."

Cindy giggled as something bad happened someone other than her for a change.

* * *

They all came into the back and were surrounded by boxes.

"Ugh, I give up," Velma complained. "This place is messier than Shaggy's closet. There's nothing interesting here!"

"Are these fish real?" Cindy wondered as she picked up one fish before fishing poles fell on top of her. "That didn't hurt! Maybe today must be my lucky day."

"Hold that thought, look at this." Daphne said as she moved a box to show a locked trunk on top of another box.

"Rufus Carmichael's diary." Cindy pointed out.

"That's the sheriff who caught Dapper Jack." Trish memorized.

"Reading this should shed a little light on Shaggy's ancestor." Brianna suggested.

"Someone broke into it!" Ellody gasped.

"They must've used bolt cutters." Cindy said as she took the lock which looked broken.

The box was then opened only to be empty.

"It's gone!" Velma and Ellody gasped.

"They stole the diary!" Lisa added.

"Someone's really going into some effort to keep Dapper Jack's past a mystery." Brianna commented.

"Let's see if our new buddy knows anything." Jade suggested.

* * *

They then came back to the front to talk with the clerk about Rufus Carmichael's missing diary.

"Someone stole the sheriff's diary, huh?" The clerk asked as he bandaged hiss hand. "I didn't even know we had that. I really focus on the bait side of things. We've got minnows now. Bass really go for minnows."

"Any idea on who could have taken it?" Ellody asked.

"Just about anyone," The clerk shrugged. "I don't even lock the place up anymore. I've been fixing to sell out to that Black Rattler company that's been buying up the town and it'll probably just sell all this old junk out. Now, can I interest you nice ladies in some leeches?" he then took out a cup of the blood sucking critters.

The girls groaned and walked out of the store.

* * *

"We couldn't get anything out of that clerk until you and Lisa showed up." Velma said to the prettier girls.

"Oh, forget that guy," Daphne scoffed. "Let's dress up and have some fun, it's like going undercover." she then put her hat on Velma's head.

"No way, maybe you guys can, but there's no way I'm dressing like that!" Ellody winced.

"Let's invite my Uncle Penn so he can be the bull!" Cindy laughed as she took out her jump-rope.

"Challenge accepted." Daphne replied.

"I know I shouldn't have said that." Ellody sighed.

"Yer darn tootin' you shouldn't have." Lisa smiled.


	8. Chapter 8

Meanwhile, back over to the ranch, the others went to the barn where Kyle, Jacob, and Larry are at.

"We're here for the shoeing." Fred said.

"We'll get to that in a bit, city boy," Kyle smirked as he rode on his horse. "First it's time for that opening and riding ya paid good money for."

"We didn't pay anything." Shaggy said.

"Great, well then, we don't have to be nice to you." Kyle laughed.

"Saddle Up." Jacob said as he brought out the saddle.

"Come on, it ain't hard, I do this all the time." Larry smiled to the others as he saddled up his own horse.

"I don't know if I can do this," Shaggy frowned. "I haven't been around horses much."

"Just watch what the ranch hands do; I'm sure we'll pick it up quick enough," Fred advised. He then saw Kyle get on the horse and the others looked at each other and shrugged.

* * *

Fred tried to get on one horse only to fall on the other side and missing the saddle. Shaggy and Scooby didn't have trouble as they rode on a horse and passed Fred and his horse. Mike got on her horse easily just like Lil, Trent, and Katrina.

"Oh, my gosh," Lil smiled. "This is so cool."

"I got this... I got this..." Katrina smiled as she rode the horse with ease.

Scott got it in a couple of tries so did Lightning and Chicken, but Fred not so much, as he was upside down and keep hitting his head as the horse was walking.

It was then time to do some roping. Kyle twirled his lasso and tossed it onto a bull model. Fred tried it, but he tied himself up. Mike tried it and managed to get it in three tries, and Shaggy tied Scooby up like a cow.

"Impressive." Scott said.

"Whoa, those two are naturals." Jacob added.

"Mike seems to make anything seem easy." Lil commented.

"I gotta ask you something, Mike," Scott said. "How did you do that?"

"My Uncle Jess taught me while I was staying at the Sherman Ranch for a while." Mike explained.

"Oh... Okay." Scott replied.

"Child's play, I could do it in my sleep." Mike chuckled.

"Still pretty impressive." Scott said as he roped the bull model.

"Not bad, Scott." Mike smiled.

Fred soon took his turn only to get tied up.

"Tough break, Dude." Trent said as even he roped up the model.

Shaggy was then chasing Scooby as he pretended to be a cow.

"Moo~" Scooby chuckled as he ran from Shaggy with the lasso.

"I gotta tell ya, you city boys are better at this stuff than I am." Larry said.

"Well, thanks, partner." Mike replied.

Shaggy and Scooby giggled to this.

"Ugh... Everything about this place is so gross and bourgeois." Desdemona complained.

"Like, what exactly does 'bourgeois' mean?" Shaggy asked.

"It means I don't like it!" Desdemona scoffed before holding her tablet close in her arms. "I'm dark and serious."

"We got that." Lil said.

They then went their separate ways and Scooby saw Midge and Andy encouraging Buddy to get on the horse.

* * *

"Oh, come on, Buddy," Midge encouraged. "Just try it!"

"Huh? Hmm..." Scooby wondered what was going on as he decided to go and see the family.

"I thought you liked horses." Midge smiled to her famous son.

"I like horses in general, I just don't like specific horses!" Buddy told his mother. "I mean, why would they wear metal shoes if they weren't gonna stomp on people? Give me one good reason!"

"Oh, son, these horses won't hurt ya," Andy promised. "They're very well-trained. Anybody could ride them."

"Reah, anybody!" Scooby agreed as he then jumped on a horse near him which impressed all of them, including Desdemona.

Scooby clicked his teeth which made the horse trot along the field and this made Buddy laugh.

"Hey, check this out!" Carol called out.

"Wow, look at that." Sharon smiled.

"Hey, wow, I can not believe this." Dave smiled.

Scooby and the horse did all sorts of tricks. Everyone clapped as the Great Dane got off the horse, he then gestured Buddy to come over to the horse.

Buddy nervously came over to the horse and looked it in the eye as he held out his hand. "He's looking at me like I'm a bug!" he panicked instantly. "He's gonna stomp me!" he then screamed and jumped over the fence while running for his life.

"Well, maybe we can try this again later." Midge suggested.

Desdemona took a picture of this from her tablet.

"You ready for the shoeing, City Boy?" Kyle asked Fred as he put his arm around the blonde teen.

"I sure am, where's the stake?" Fred asked.

"Steak?" Kyle chuckled. "Shoot, if you can shoe a horse, you can have all the steaks you want... With baked potatoes, and collard greens, and spicy cornbread, and fried chicken... Basically, anything you want."

"Along with a junior bacon cheeseburger with sea salted fries." Wendy giggled as she walked over.

"What?" Fred asked.

"Here you go," Kyle said while pointing to the horse and Jacob was carrying a wheelbarrow of horseshoes. "Get to it!" he then pushed Fred.

"Wait, hold the phone," Fred spoke up. "You want me to..." he then looked at the shoes and the horse as he realized that this wasn't a game. "Uh-oh."

* * *

Soon enough, the girls came back and saw the crowd who was laughing. They began to look at each other and then walked towards the crowd.

"What's going on?" Jade asked.

"My aunts can't be _that_ funny." Trish commented.

"Some goofball's trying to show a horse," Dave laughed until he turned to see Daphne. "Oh, hi, I mean, your friend's trying to show a horse! And he's a goofball."

The girls saw Fred pulling a horse, using a jack.

"Fred, what are you doing?" Brianna asked.

"Shoeing this horse, obviously." Fred replied as he lifted the horse's back leg.

The horse then kicked Fred across the field and the blonde teen landed on the fence.

"That's gotta hurt." Cindy winced.

Fred groaned in response.

Cindy came up to the blonde teen. "Are you okay, Mr. Fred Jones, sir?"

"Mommy, is the ride over?" Fred asked back wearily.

* * *

 ** _Later that night..._**

"You guys find anything out today?" Ellody asked the others as they met together.

"Yeah," Fred replied. "Besides what shoeing a horse means?"

"Yeah, besides that." Jade said.

"Well, we-" Shaggy began.

The others then suddenly saw fireworks in the sky.

"The Flaming J!" Cindy called out.

There was a wicked laugh heard and horses were scared as they tried to dodge the glowing bullets shot from pistols toward them.

"That green fire could spread to the rest of Tawny's ranch!" Jade cried out.

"We better put it out." Trent suggested.

Tawny, Jacob, Millie, and Larry grabbed the fire extinguishers.

"Quick, before it spreads!" Millie told the others.

Dapper Jack's ghost laughed as he caused chaos for everybody on the ranch. He then trapped the horse in a ring of fire at the coral. Millie, Tawny, Jacob, and Larry put out the fire while the others were going to calm down the horses.

"Sit! Sit!" Fred told the charging horse like it was a dog.

The horse runs to the teen and Fred ran away and tripped over a bucket of paint.

"Man, Fred's just having all sorts of bad luck on this trip." Cindy commented.

The horse soon ran to her.

"Ooh, nice horsey!" Cindy ran out of the way. "MOMMY!"

The horse then bucked her in the air.

Cindy yelped and then fell right back on the horse's back and he began to run around with her. "SOMEONE HELP ME!" she cried out.

Scooby soon ran by the side and jumped onto the horse's back and whispered into its ear.

"I think I'm going to be sick." Cindy moaned.

The horse soon stopped after Scooby had whispered to it.

* * *

Cindy moaned and slid off the horse and landed on the Great Dane's back. "So, Scooby, you can talk to horses?" she asked as she rubbed her head.

"Ri ruess." Scooby smiled innocently.

"That's pretty awesome." Cindy said.

"Well, I'll be!" Tawny was impressed. "I-I ain't seen nuthin' like that!" she then picked up Cindy and hugged her. "You're a born horseman, little lady!"

"Uh, thanks..." Cindy blushed from the hug.

"Cindy, are you okay?" Velma rushed over with Lisa, Daphne, and Ellody.

"Yeah, we're fine." Cindy said.

Lisa hugged Cindy who blushed and Fred limped over to the others.

"I think I sprained my ankle if anyone cares." Fred said.


	9. Chapter 9

They went back to the bunk house and Daphne bandaged Fred's ankle

"Well, have we got anything?" Trent asked.

"Not much," Ellody replied. "In the way of suspects."

"Yeah, Tawny and Raft both can't stand to lose their match, so they seem pretty unlikely." Brianna said.

"But that Kimberly girl seemed uneasy to me." Lil spoke up.

"Possibly." Velma replied.

"Maybe it's one of those jokey sisters pulling a prank." Cindy suggested.

"This seems a little elaborate for them." Jade replied.

"What about that Jess Harper guy?" Fred asked. "He seems a little shady and has been on a wanted poster before."

"Hey!" Mike glared at Fred. "What're you saying about my uncle?!"

"I'm just saying he seems a little shady to me." Fred put his hands up in defense.

"Well, he's not a bad guy!" Mike glared.

"Who could be our suspect?" Cindy pondered once Lil got Mike to calm down around Fred's accusation.

"What about that Gunderson girl?" Brianna suggested. "She seems pretty unhappy to be here. Maybe she's trying to scare her parents so they can go back home."

"Hmm... Maybe." Velma replied.

"Does anyone have any clues?" Ellody asked.

"Just some florid acid that Tawny told us about," Fred took out something. "You think it's connected to the ghost?"

"Absolutely," Velma replied as she took out a brown case and got something out. "Let me show you something."

"What about that Black Rattler Management Company?" Jade asked. "They're buying an awful lot in local real estate."

"So?" Lightning asked.

"So, I don't know if anyone else noticed, but about 98% of the ghosts we run into wind up having something to do with real estate." Daphne pointed out.

"Huh... I never noticed that." Katrina commented.

"Me neither." Brianna had to admit.

"Check this out," Velma said as she poured a cup into the acid before stirring and lighting a lighter onto it. "Florid acid burns green, maybe the ghost is using it for the green flames he shoots out of his guns."

"Dude, that's awesome!" Shaggy beamed before he and Scooby laughed.

"Like, can we blow up some other stuff?" Lightning asked.

This caused for everybody to look at him.

"So, no? That's a no then?" Lightning asked the others.

"You're right about the Black Rattler Management Company, Jade," Ellody said, logically as always. "I'm gonna have to do a little internet research on them."

"Me too." Velma added.

"I'll help!" Cindy piped up.

"What about Dave and David?" Fred asked. "What're they up to?"

"The producers?" Daphne asked. "Maybe they're here to-"

"No, what're they up to right now?" Fred pointed out the window.

Dave put something in the trunk and David was standing guard.

"Totally suspicious." Scott noted.

"Should we follow them?" Lisa asked.

"I say yes." Fred replied.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Shaggy said. "It's gonna be dark soon and there's a ghost around!"

Scooby shivered.

"Uh-huh." Cindy added.

"Fine, we'll go and you can stay here all alone in this place where the ghost appeared last." Trent smirked.

The cowardly trio then looked to each other and instantly agreed.

"All righty, let's find out what they're up to." Shaggy decided.

Cindy's cell phone soon rang as she then answered it. "Yeah?" she answered.

"Hey, Cindy, what're you up to?" Penn asked as he was raiding the fridge. "Your parents went to a meeting and abandoned me."

"I'd love to talk, but I'm busy." Cindy told her 'uncle'.

"But, Cindy-" Penn pouted.

Cindy then hung up on him.

"Uh, Mike?" Fred came over to the tomboy. "I'd like to apologize for thinking your uncle would be a suspect."

"Just don't let it happen again," Mike warned Fred. "You dis my family, you dis me."

"I didn't even know he was your uncle." Fred replied.

"I clearly said it when you met him." Mike rolled her eyes.

"Guess he was too busy checking out Daphne." Lil smirked.

"Oh, ha ha ha, very funny." Fred deadpanned.

"I thought it was." Lil replied innocently.

"Come on, they're getting in their car, let's get in the Mystery Machine." Cindy suggested.

"I hope Uncle Jess is okay," Mike sighed. "He's been gone a long time."

"I'm sure he's fine, Mike, we'll go look for him when we get back unless you wanna find him now." Lil told her girlfriend.

"We can find him when we get back." Mike replied.

* * *

The others went inside the Mystery Machine and Mike and Lil went on their motorcycle to follow Dave and David. Dave and David soon got out of their car with their bag.

"What the heck could they be doing here?" Velma wondered.

"What's that case that he's carrying?" Cindy asked.

The gang then hid behind the rocks so they could see what the producers were up to.

"Is it a gun?" Jade wondered.

"I think it is." Trent replied.

"I can't see..." Cindy pouted as she was too short.

"Come on, man, move." Shaggy said.

"Re ran't ree." Scooby added.

"Scooch over!" Cindy frowned. 'Can I just-" she then leaned over and fell down the hill and landed in front of Dave and David. "Don't shoot!" she then cried out.

"Shoot?" David replied.

"No, don't shoot, I'm too young to die, just put down the-" Cindy panicked until David set down the object which wasn't a gun after all. "Tripod? Oh, wow, we thought that was a-" she then yelled out as the ledge below her feet broke and she then began to fall.

"Cindy!" Everybody else cried out.

Cindy got onto a rock in the ledge. "Aw, man, I need some help... Is someone out there?" she then reached into her pocket and took out the button that Penn gave her and pushed it with her free hand since this was an emergency.

The group then came over to the accident prone girl.

"Are youse okay?" Chicken asked.

"Oh, I'm fine, just a nice little evening out and about, and- **PULL ME UP TO SAFETY, WILL YOU?!** " Cindy yelled out.

"Don't worry, we'll save you." Mike promised.

Ellody narrow her eyes and Cindy was floating up back to safety thanks to the older girl's telekinesis.

"Oh, man," Cindy replied. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, Ellody."

"You're welcome," Ellody said. "Are you okay now?"

"I think so." Cindy said before stretching.

The gang then met up with the producers.

"So, you thought we had something to do with the ghost?" Dave asked.

"Sorry, it was just-" Fred started.

Daphne giggled nervously. "You were coming out here to this isolated place... And... Uh... Heh..."

"We were just taking some pictures," David smiled. "Scouting some locations for our movie."

"Ooh, a movie?" Shaggy asked.

"About the nefarious Dapper Jack and the heroic Sheriff Carmichael." Dave informed.

"Guess I won't be starring in that one." Cindy commented.

"Man, if you make a movie, then everyone's gonna know about my jerk ancestor." Shaggy replied.

"We feel like it's time for a big blockbuster western." Dave said.

"All the science-fiction, superhero, and zombie movies really run its course." David added.

"And in that case, we're gonna make Dapper Jack an alien zombie superhero robot from the future." Dave added.

"Also, Sheriff Carmichael might have a rapping monkey that grants wishes," David smiled as he then looked down to Cindy as he showed a picture on his phone. "Sound like fun, kiddo?"

"I prefer sophisticated comedy with jokes from books like Charlotte Bronte." Cindy replied as she adjusted her glasses.

"Uncle Jess, please be okay." Mike hoped.

"Wanna go look for him?" Lil offered.

"He promised he'd be back..." Mike said.

"Come on, Mike, let's go find him." Lil comforted.

"He should be fine... I hope." Mike stated.

"You know, if you want to find out about Dapper Jack, you're in the wrong place." David said.

"Yeah," Dave added. "You should really check out his grave. It's right down the road."

"Did you say grave?" Cindy gulped. "But I don't like graves."

"Just trying to help, kid." Dave shrugged.

"Um, guys?" Mike spoke up. "You can go right on ahead, I want to find my Uncle Jess."

"Okay, Mike, take your time..." Cindy said, trying to hide her nerves about going to a graveyard.

"Don't worry, Mike; I'm sure your uncle is okay." Lil soothed.

"I hope he is..." Mike sighed. "He really made a difference in my life... He was like another father to me."

"Don't worry, we'll find him," Lil comforted. "It's going to be okay."

Mike only sighed as she went with Lil to find her Uncle Jess.

* * *

 ** _Meanwhile..._**

Penn panted as he was walking all the way to the dude ranch while looking like he could pass out and die right now. "I should've... Waited... For the stupid airport..." he grunted before passing out in the middle of the road. "This is it... Goodbye, Cindy... Goodbye... Um,... Her friends... I'll miss you all. Hang on, Carlotta, I'm coming back for ya!"

"Ew, ew, I hate death, ew, no..." Cindy wandered to the road only to trip over Penn. "Oof! At least I landed on this giant marshmallow."

"Get off of me!" Penn replied. "I'm not a marshmallow."

Cindy soon got off and cleaned her glasses and took a closer look. "Jeez, it's you!" she then backed up nervously, she then came back and grabbed his hand to pull him up and tried to make him stand up as she leaned against his back. "Gah... Don't fall on me... Don't fall!"

Penn then stood up, brushing himself off.

"Phew!" Cindy looked relieved.

"Cindy, you helped me stand up..." Penn smiled. "I guess you're not so weak and pathetic."

"Says the guy who guest starred in Friends in 1997." Cindy teased.

"Watch it." Penn growled.

"Sorry, Uncle Penn." Cindy replied.

"Say, where's your friend, Mike?" Penn asked, looking around.

"She's looking for her Uncle Jess." Cindy said.

"Wait... What're you doing here?" Penn asked.

Cindy narrowed her eyes. "I swear, you never listen to me, I should be asking what you're doing here!"

"I came to rescue you because I felt that you were in trouble." Penn explained.

"You came to rescue me?" Cindy cooed. "Aww... I knew it... Deep down with that wild and crazy personality, you're a puppy dog Mom would adopt with a big heart!"

Penn paused for a moment and put his hands in front of him with a playful smirk. "Tell Mommy that Puppy wants bath~"

"Don't ruin the moment!" Cindy groaned.

"Sorry," Penn replied. "Where are you guys going?"

"To the grave of Dapper Jack." Cindy informed.

"Dapper Jack..." Penn repeated as he walked with her. "I feel like I've heard that name somewhere..."

* * *

 ** _Random flashback..._**

 _"Before I work with you, I must warn you to watch out for certain figures like Dapper Jack..." Teller advised._

 ** _End of flashback._**

* * *

"Oh, my God..." Penn's eyes widened. "Teller can talk!"

Cindy gave him a deadpan look and they followed everyone, minus Mike and Lil.

* * *

Meanwhile, Mike and Lil were looking for the ex-gunslinger who works for the Sherman Ranch now.

"Mike, look at this," Lil said. "I found some tracks. They look like horse tracks."

"Horse tracks, huh?" Mike asked before she took a closer look. "Hmm..."

"You think it could be his horse?" Lil asked.

"It's still warm, he might not be too far from here." Mike said hopefully.

Lil gasped as she looked down and saw a little bit of blood. "Uh, Mike?" she weakly called. "You may wanna take a look at this."

Mike came over and saw her girlfriend pointing at the little blood. "Blood... From who?" Mike frowned.

"I don't like where this is going." Lil frowned back.

Mike sniffed the blood and her eyes widened. "I think it's Uncle Jess's blood."

Lil's eyes widened as well as she let out a gasp. Mike and Lil continued to follow the horse tracks and blood.

"Mike, look!" Lil cried out.

They saw a man tied up to the tree.

"Uncle Jess, is that you?!" Mike cried out.

"Mike, it is him." Lil said.

* * *

They then ran to the tied up man as he groaned.

"Uncle Jess?" Mike asked.

"Mike... Is that you?" Jess weakly asked.

"Are you okay?" Lil asked.

"Yeah, I feel like I got kicked by a mule." Jess mumbled.

"Do you know who did this to you?" Mike frowned to her maternal uncle.

"I couldn't see after I got knocked out," Jess replied weakly. "Last thing I saw was two guys and a girl."

Mike began to untie her uncle.

"Oh, you poor man..." Lil frowned. "You look trashed."

"I'll be fine," Jess replied. "I've been through more tough stuff than this."

"I'm just glad you're safe." Mike soon hugged her uncle. "I was so worried about you."

"Sorry that I was worrying you, kiddo." Jess said as he wiped blood from his lip.

"The others are at Dapper Jack's grave." Lil told the ex-gunslinger.

"Let's go rescue them before they could get into trouble." Jess said while hooking up his gun belt and putting on his hat.

"Are you sure that you're all right?" Mike asked her uncle.

"I've faced much worse than this, Mike, Lillian, let's go." Jess decided.

"Okay, as long as you're sure." Mike told her uncle.

Jess then got on his horse while Mike and Lil got on their motorcycle and headed to the graveyard.


	10. Chapter 10

There was green fire everywhere and everyone was screaming, as someone was on the roof causing this.

" **IT'S THE GHOST OF DAPPER JACK!** " Cindy yelped as she jumped into Mike's arms.

Mike narrowed her eyes. "So I see..."

"Protect me, Honey Bunny." Lisa hugged Scott tight much to his dismay.

"Get off of me!" Scott complained.

Dapper Jack shoot his guns at Dave who backed away.

"No, not in the face, aaaugh!" Dave yelped as he jumped over the gate and ran away.

Dapper Jack laughed and keep shooting green fire from his guns.

"May I just go ahead and faint?" Cindy asked.

"Not yet, we got a job to do." Mike said.

"I was afraid she would say that..." Cindy groaned.

Lil went back into the house to change back to her normal clothes and came back. "Let's do this." she said as she tied her shoes.

"Aw, I liked the pajamas better." Mike pouted.

"Sorry, Mike, but I can't challenge anyone in my PJ's," Lil replied. "But you'll see me in them later."

Dapper Jack laughed as he shot green flames around everyone while invading.

" **THE GHOST! IT'S REAL!** " Longhorn panicked as he hid away with his fellow steers.

"The ghost is real!" Chicken cried out.

"Save yourselves!" Longhorn told the other steer before running for his life.

"I never thought I'd say this, but we need Super Cow." Chicken deadpanned.

" **EVERY MAN, WOMAN, AND LIGHTNING FOR THEMSELVES!** " Lightning cried out before he jumped into Ellody's arms.

"You can't chase me, I'm a relative!" Shaggy called out as he ran with Scooby.

Jess soon overheard some things going on and looked out the window, he then rushed inside his own house and took out a rope as he then rode on a horse go towards the chaos.

"I'm not ready to die yet." Cindy said as she hugged Brianna.

"Aw, man," Fred groaned as he got trapped in a net. "I should've gone with The Amazing Net."

There were horse gallops heard.

"What's that?" Lil wondered.

Mike looked ahead and gasped. "Uncle Jess!"

"Uncle who?" Scott, Chicken, and Lightning asked.

* * *

Jess twirled his lasso and threw it out to capture the ghost of Dapper Jack. Dapper Jack growls and shot green fire from his gun.

Jess hopped up to avoid the flame and grabbed the ghost in his lasso. "Got ya, ya varmint!"

"Uncle Jess!" Mike beamed.

"Howdy there, Michelene, oh, sorry, Mike..." Jess smiled and tipped his hat to his niece.

"It's okay." Mike laughed.

"Is it safe to come out?" Cindy asked as she hid in a bush.

"Yeah, come on out, Cindy." Mike told her.

Cindy came out. "Man, I almost ruined my good pajamas..." she then muttered to herself until she looked up and gasped. "Mike's Uncle Jess!" she then took out a paper bag and hyperventilated into it before her eyes lolled in her head and she fell in the middle of the ground.

"Is she okay?" Jess asked about Cindy.

"She'll be fine," Mike said. "Great to see ya, Uncle Jess."

"Great to see you too, ah, when you smile, you look just like your mama." Jess smiled.

"Um, guys, I hate to ruin this little family reunion, but the ghost is gone." Scott said after he noticed something unfortunate.

"What?!" Jess yelped. "That's impossible!"

"He must've evaporated." Lil guessed.

"Dangumit!" Jess cursed.

"He's a ghost!" Lightning cried out. "I'm tellin' you he's a ghost!"

"Now, before you all get up in arms... Lightning might be right... I mean, we've faced crazy stuff like this before." Ellody said to the others.

"I agree with her, I should know..." Jess agreed with the genius girl.

"But what can we do?" Lil asked. "I mean, none of us are Danny Phantom and don't have a thermos to get rid of him."

"Maybe he isn't a ghost." Katrina suggested.

"Cindy, did you bring your laptop?" Mike asked.

"Never leave home without it." Cindy slowly woke up.

"Great..." Mike came up to her face. "You got some homework to do."

"Yes, sir, I mean, ma'am." Cindy replied.

"Has anyone seen Fred?" Brianna asked.

"Yer friend's over there." Millie pointed to Fred as he was trapped in a net.

"I'm disappointed in you, Net Master 3000." Fred angrily pouted.

"Wait a minute..." Millie said before gasping. "You're Jess Harper from Laramie! What are you doing here?"

"I heard my niece and her friends were in trouble." Jess said, putting his arm around Mike.

"Wait... Yer a girl?" Millie asked the tomboy.

"Yes, that's a long story, but this is my Uncle Jess." Mike smiled up to Jess.

"Mike's a girl?" Lightning asked.

This made everybody else groan and face-palm since he had clearly known Mike longer than Millie had.

"Oh, Scotty poo, you're okay!" Lisa beamed as she hugged the former devious teen.

Scott groaned in defeat.

"Oh, Lisa, I'm so glad yer safe..." Jade smiled to her best friend. "Aw, Lisa's hugging you... That's adorable."

"No, it's not!" Scott complained. "She's obsessed with me!"

"I was worried about you, Hunny Bunny." Lisa told Scott.

"Oh, Lisa's just being nice..." Jade soothed.

"Um, Jade?" Cindy tugged on the girl's nightgown. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but your best friend is clearly stalking your boyfriend."

"Y'all must got some pheromones in ya, cous." Millie smirked teasingly to Scott.

"First Sugar, then Lisa, what's next, that Kimberly kid?!" Scott complained.

Millie couldn't help but giggle to Scott's overreaction.

Jade looked from Cindy to Scott and Lisa and felt suspicious of her best friend now. "I think we should share a room together, Lees." she told her best friend.

"Can Scotty come with us?" Lisa asked hopefully.

"No." Jade declined.

"Aw, okay." Lisa replied.

Everyone then put their pajamas back on and went straight to bed.

"Good night." Fred said.

"Night." Daphne and Velma replied.

"Shaggy, Scooby, are you guys going to bed?" Brianna asked as she was going to share a room with Cindy.

"Like, we'll take the first watch." Shaggy said as he hid with Scooby while holding a plunger for protection.

"Suit yourselves..." Brianna shrugged before going into the room and shutting the door behind her.

Shaggy and Scooby looked at each other nervously as they heard howling.

* * *

The next morning came sooner than anyone knew.

"Rise and shine, partners!" Millie called out. "It's morning!"

"Five more minutes, Ma!" Chicken called back.

"Why is it still dark?" Shaggy muffled as he had the plunger stuck on his face.

Scooby then took the plunger off of him.

Shaggy shook his head back to normal. "Thanks, buddy."

"You're welcome." Scooby said as everybody soon came out in their normal clothes.

"Quit fooling around, you guys, we've got some detective work to do." Trent told Shaggy and Scooby.

"Count me out!" Shaggy said and Scooby nodded in agreement. "I've had enough ghosts and not enough sleeping."

The cowardly duo then went to sleep on the couch.

"Should I say it?" Trent smirked.

"Go ahead." Fred allowed.

"Ahem!" Trent cleared his throat. "Breakfast!"

Shaggy and Scooby soon zipped out of the house to get something to eat.

"That's a good wake up call for them." Cindy chuckled.

"Me, Velma, Brianna, Ellody, and Cindy will talk to Tawny to see what we can find out." Daphne said.

"Take Lisa too, please!" Scott begged.

"Oh, Scotty, you're so funny." Lisa giggled.

Scott groaned in response.

"Can I get some breakfast first?" Cindy asked.

"Go right ahead, Cindy," Velma allowed. "We'll wait for you."

Cindy smiled as she then moved out to get herself some breakfast.

"And we'll talk to the eggs to see what we can bacon." Shaggy laughed.


	11. Chapter 11

Raft and Kimberly were talking to the cook who had a buffet table full of the breakfast food.

"This is way too much food." Kimberly said.

"Most of our guests left 'cuz of the food." Raft added.

"We have a lot of other guests, but this is way too much." Kimberly agreed with her father. "Who's gonna eat all of this?"

Cindy licked her lips as she rubbed her hands together and was ready to eat some breakfast.

"The recipe said a hundred people," The cook replied. "I only know how to follow a recipe."

* * *

The group minus, Daphne, Velma, Brianna, Ellody, and Lisa, came over to the breakfast buffet table.

"Howdy, breakfast." Shaggy laughed.

Tawny and Millie were cleaning up the inside of the house as some furniture had been knocked over and/or broken up.

"Golly... The Jess Harper!" Kimberly gushed.

"Thanks for helpin' me, Millie." Tawny said.

Tawny and Millie smiled to this.

"That's my name, don't wear it out." Jess chuckled.

"Mike, I thought your mother's maiden name was Wolfe?" Lil asked her girlfriend. "How come Jess's last name is Harper and your mom's last name is Wolfe?"

"He was adopted by the Harpers in Texas when he was really young," Mike explained. "He had run away from home... His real home."

"Oh, so I see," Lil replied before looking to Jess. "What happened to your adoptive family?"

"Died in a fire," Jess sighed sharply. "I was the only survivor."

"Oh, my," Lil replied. "I'm so sorry to hear that."

"Yeah..." Mike sighed.

"It's a hard knock life for all of us." Jess said.

"I'm honored that you let me be apart of this family and I hope someday in the future, much more." Lil smiled.

"I told you she was perfect." Mike smiled to Jess about dating Lil.

Lil's stomach growled which made her blush and chuckle sheepishly.

"I better get some food with Lil." Mike told her uncle.

"Totally understood." Jess nodded. "You kids be careful now."

"We will," Mike replied. "Care to join us?"

"Maybe later." Jess stated.

Mike hugged Jess before going out with Lil. Velma sniffled and sneezed as her allergies had gotten much worse today.

"Did your uncle say 'totally'?" Lil giggled.

"Sonya's slang must've gotten to him." Mike replied.

"Well, I'm full," Cindy told the others. "I'm going inside with Daphne, Velma, Brianna, and Ellody to see what we can find out."

"Okay, Cindy, stay out of trouble." Mike told her.

"You know I will." Cindy replied.

Mike and Lil then went off together to get some food. Chicken was back in his human form and yawned after he had spent most of the night catching up with his Uncle Longhorn.

* * *

"This has been abandoned in Sorghum City for quite a spell." Tawny told the others.

"Since that ghost's showed up, it's gotten even worse." Millie added.

"We saw lots of boarded up shops since we got here." Ellody said.

Velma soon suddenly sneezed. "Ugh... I think that my allergy medication is starting to wear off."

"This doesn't sound fair or any fun for your home." Cindy said to Tawny and Millie.

"No, it isn't." Brianna added.

"Don't worry," Ellody said. "We'll help in any way we can."

"Right, Lisa?!" Jade added.

"Oh, you know how helpful I am, Jade~" Lisa smiled. "I watch over Dexter and Dee Dee all the time..." she then sighed. "I just wish I had a boyfriend like you... Jeff is just a pile of dirt."

"You'll find the right guy someday." Jade comforted.

"I can't leave here..." Tawny sighed. "I..."

"Hey," Daphne comforted her. "We'll get to the bottom of this ghost thing, it'll be okay."

"Ya know, ya might be able to find out more about Dapper Jack in town." Tawny suggested.

Velma soon sneezed so hard that it knocked her glasses off her face and her medicine out of her pocket.

"That's a good idea." Brianna said to Tawny.

Velma glared as she was on her hands and knees to get her glasses and medicine.

"Also, it might be a good idea to get Velma away from the you-know-whats." Tawny advised.

"Horses! You can say it!" Velma glared. "I'm not allergic to the word! Horses! Horses! Hor- **WAAACHOO!** Oh, my gosh... I think I'm allergic to it!"

Daphne, Velma, Brianna, Ellody, Lisa, and Cindy then went to go into town.

* * *

Everyone else was getting some breakfast.

"Can I go to town with the others?" Trish asked her aunts.

"Did you eat your breakfast?" Carol asked.

"Yeah." Trish nodded.

"Then go right ahead." Sharon allowed.

"Thanks!" Trish smiled before going off.

"Have a good time, sweetie." Carol and Sharon smiled to their niece.

"See ya!" Trish replied as she went to join the others in town. "Hey, guys, wait up!"

Everyone was getting breakfast, Carol laughed as she put 'KICK ME' sign on the back of her sister's shirt.

"Mmm... I don't know what's better, this, or Sonya's food." Jess said as he finally ate the food.

Scooby made a huge pancake sandwich with eggs, jelly, and even fish as he then began to chomp at it. Shaggy then took his pancake stack on both ends and ate down the pancakes all at once.

"So, what're you fellas gonna do today?" Midge smiled to Fred as he ate his breakfast quietly.

"We-" Fred was about to say.

"We're gonna rent canoes." Midge smiled.

"I don't know, Midge," Andy told his wife. "There's rapids on that river."

"It's okay, it says if you stay to the right it's safe, just don't go to the left at the fork." Buddy told his parents as he showed them a map.

"Well, I haven't left anything on my fork yet!" Andy said before laughing with Midge.

"Oh, shoot!" Midge giggled to her husband.

"Ya hear that?" Andy smirked to his family. "When I said I haven't left anything on my fork yet?"

Desdemona groaned and face-palmed.

"Yeah, I heard it, Dad." Buddy was even annoyed.

"Classic me." Andy smiled.

"You know... Quiet time can be nice too," Buddy told his parents. "We should have more quiet time!"

"Ugh!" Desdemona groaned to her younger brother. "How can you stand them?!"

"Having about millions of fans helps." Buddy smirked.

"Oh, there's that stage coach," Midge said as she pulled Fred's arm just as he was about to eat. "We might take a ride on that, that looks like fun!"

* * *

Jacob, Kyle, Larry, and a familiar red-haired girl soon approached the group.

"Morning, Crazy Q guests!" Larry greeted. "I'd like to introduce Kyle's niece, Wendy, she's a student in Mascot Prep."

"Mike!" Wendy beamed as she then came to the tomboy and hugged her.

"Oh, hey, Wendy," Mike smiled to the girl. "I thought you seemed familiar. Where's Little Debbie?"

"Visiting her grandmother," Wendy replied. "I come here every summer to visit my Uncle Kyle."

Lil's left eye twitched since Wendy was with Mike.

"Isn't this cool?" Wendy beamed. "We get to spend some time together!"

"Uh, well, Wendy, that's nice, but you should know something." Mike said.

"What's that?" Wendy asked.

"Wendy... This is Lil,..." Mike pulled Lil over. "She's my girlfriend."

"Girlfriend...?" Wendy whimpered. "I liked you a lot after you saved me from my dad's former co-workers..."

"Ah, man, don't cry, please," Mike told her. "I hate it when girls cry... Uhh..."

"Mike will take you out on a date." Lightning told Wendy.

"What?!" Mike and Lil gasped.

"Really?" Wendy beamed. "That's awesome!"

"Uhh..." Mike wasn't sure how to react since that was so sudden.

"Oh, Mike, no wonder you're so popular, you're such a good friend!" Wendy beamed.

"Uhh...?" Mike blinked.

"You're the best!" Wendy squealed.

"Wendy, come on over here and get some food now." Kyle called out to his niece.

"Coming!" Wendy beamed and skipped over to him.

"What the heck, Lightning?!" Mike glared.

"What did I do?" Lightning shrugged.

"You're making me date Wendy!" Mike glared. "I like Wendy, but not in that way, I'm in love with Lil! You can't be that stupid!"

"Yeah, I don't think even Twister could be as dumb as you." Lil added.

"How was I supposed to know?" Lightning pouted. "Nobody ever tells me nothing."

"Why don't you make it a friend date?" Katrina suggested to Mike. "You two can catch up together like old friends would."

"I dunno about that, Katrina..." Lil folded her arms. "Wendy seems like a nice girl, but she seemed to be crushing on Mike."

"Mind if Kyle, Jacob, and I join you for breakfast?" Larry offered. "Right after we do our morning work-out of course."

Kyle lassoed his rope, jumping in and out of the rope. Larry juggled horseshoes and put it in his hat. Meanwhile, Jacob did both which made Wendy swoon over. Wendy waved to Mike as she ate her breakfast.

"If you ask me, I think she's starting to have a crush on Jacob." Trent told Mike about Wendy.

"As much as I like Wendy as a friend, I kinda hope Jacob distracts Wendy from her affections to me." Mike said to Trent.

Everyone was impressed by their performance.

"I could do that," Fred huffed in jealousy. "I just don't wanna do it right now."

"Uncle Larry, look at the gentleman over there," Jacob said to his uncle. "Isn't that the ex-gunslinger Jess Harper you told me stories about?"

"That's him all right." Larry told his nephew.

"He's, like, worth $5,000." Kyle added.

"Would he be worth anything now?" Jacob asked.

"I dunno, boys, but let's act casual," Larry said before clearing his throat. "Let's get a move on, boys, we got some shoein' to do after breakfast."

This interested Fred.

"Well, hold on there," Kyle said. "I ain't even started on my catfish."

"Well, quit yer jawin', and eat then." Larry told him.

"My shoein' finger is feelin' itchy." Jacob said.

Fred then cleared his throat. This made everybody else look over to the blonde boy.

"Say fellas, I know a thing or two about shoeing," Fred smirked. "Mind if I join you later?"

"Huh, you don't say," Larry smirked back. "You fast?"

"Fast? I'll say," Fred chuckled. "Fastest shoer in the West."

"We could use a hand," Jacob replied. "Meet us at the barn later."

"Sounds great," Fred nodded. "That stake isn't gonna know what hit it."

The three gave him strange looks and soon walked off with their food.

"I was the horseshoe legion champ back in Camp Little Moose," Fred smirked to Shaggy. "I'll teach these cowboys a thing or two."

"Can't talk," Shaggy said as he continued to eat. "Food."

"This won't end well." Lil muttered.

* * *

Eventually, everyone finished eating their food.

"Mike, I'm gonna go snoop around this place," Jess told his niece. "I gotta bad feelin' about this."

"Me too, Uncle Jess," Mike replied. "I'm gonna go with Fred and help him."

"Be careful." Jess warned.

"You too." Mike nodded.

Mike and Jess shared an uncle/niece hug together before splitting up to go their separate ways. Fred looked into the barrel.

"Any idea what we're looking for?" Scott asked.

"Clues." Fred replied.

"Great." Chicken said.

"So, I'll see if I can find anything clue-shaped then." Shaggy replied.

Scooby looked up.

"Come on, Scoob," Shaggy smiled as he put his hat on. "Let's see what you can sniff up!"

"Reah! Reah! Rlues!" Scooby smiled back as he sniffed like the dog he was before he then saw a pair of feet. "Huh?"

"Hey there, little pony." An old man said.

"Rony?" Scooby asked out of confusion.

"How did ya get out?" The old man asked before bringing out a saddle to put on Scooby's back. "There, there, little pony, it's okay... Come with old Zeke, I'll take ya back to the barn."

"Whoa, there, partner," Mike stopped the old man who clearly had a vision problem. "Scooby's not a horse, he's a pedigree Great Dane."

"Reah," Scooby added. "Redigree."

"This is a dog?" Zeke asked out of confusion. "Gah... Why should I listen to a talking tree or candy cane anyway?"

"Uh, what?" Shaggy blinked.

"It's a joke, son, 'cuz of my near-sightedness." Zeke replied.

Shaggy and Mike just looked to each other. They both just shrugged to each other.

"Is this something?" Scott asked as he picked up something before the saddle was on his back as he was on his hands and knees. "Hey, what's the big idea?!"

"Here you go, little pony." Zeke said before holding out an apple to Scott.

"Uh, thanks, but I already had breakfast, and I'm not a pony!" Scott told the old man.

"Consarnit!" Zeke complained as he took the saddle then. "Could you point me in the general direction of the stables?"

Everybody then pointed to the right.

"Much obliged." Zeke replied only to go the wrong way.

"Hey, guys, look at what I found," Scott said. "I found some powder in the grass... Along with some crystals."

"Like, what could that be?" Shaggy wondered.

"I don't know," Fred replied. "Some kind of fertilizer?"

"Maybe Tawny would know what it is." Trent suggested.

They then came to Tawny to see if she could help them.


	12. Chapter 12

"Looks like florid acid," Tawny observed the clue that the others had brought to her. "We use it as a pesticide. But I dunno why it would've been where ya found it, that's right peculiar."

"Do you know of anyone who has a grudge against you or the ranch?" Katrina asked.

"Oh, I sure hope not," Tawny frowned. "We're struggling enough as it is. I've worried about losin' the ranch for a long time. It's the only home I've ever known. This ghost is just the last straw."

"Well, don't worry," Lil coaxed. "We'll take care of it."

"Thanks, partners," Millie replied. "We could use all the help we can get."

"I'm not afraid of any ghost, right, Scoob?" Shaggy asked.

"Reah," Scooby nodded. "Re reither."

Carol moaned and groaned as she had a bucket on her head and she was covered in milk as she wandered around. Shaggy and Scooby screamed and jumped into Jess's arms as he was coming back.

"I got you! I got you good!" Carol teased her sister.

Sharon took the bucket off her head with a smirk. "You totally got me! You got me good!"

The two sisters soon laughed to each other.

"And I'll get you a mop and some cleaning rags so you clean up that paint." Millie told the sisters.

"She totally got us." Carol and Sharon pouted before walking away together.

The Gunderson family soon came into a carriage.

"Hey, ain't you the cook?" Chicken asked.

"Well, I'm also the stagecoach driver." The cook replied as he walked to the stagecoach.

"Sorry about that," Shaggy told the others after the cook dropped them. "I just wish there was something I could do. If only Dapper Jack hadn't been so evil, maybe people wouldn't be so afraid of him."

"We'll figure this out, Shag," Mike promised. "Don't worry."

"Like, I sure hope you're right, Mike." Shaggy replied.

"Trust me on this one." Mike soothed.

"Hogwash!" Zeke muttered. "The whole town has been nuked around the legend of Dapper Jack! But that's all it is, a legend, it's all just a bunch of stories, but it's not true... None of it!" he then began to brush against the stables. "Take it from someone who knows the truth."

"Uh, do you know that you're brushing a fence?" Mike asked the old man.

"No good talkin' candy cane." Zeke muttered.

* * *

 ** _Meanwhile in town..._**

People all over were getting ready to leave as it looked like a literal ghost town now. The girls, minus Mike, Lil, and Katrina, noticed everyone was putting signs up.

"What kind of museum sells bait?" Ellody asked.

"One that's near a fishin' shop, and wants to make money?" Jade suggested.

"Well, yeah, it's a tourist town," Cindy added. "Come on."

"Actually, why don't you, Velma, and Ellody see what you can learn about Dapper Jack in there and Daphne and I can ask the local merchants?" Jade suggested as she looked at a dress shoppe.

"Daphne, you want that outfit, don't you?" Cindy asked.

"IT'S SO CUTE!" Daphne gushed.

"Oh, my gosh, it totally is!" Lisa added.

"All right, fine." Brianna gave in.

Daphne and Lisa squealed in response.

"Just don't take too long!" Ellody told them.

"Come on!" Daphne giggled as she ran with Lisa into the shop.

"I better go in there too." Jade said before following after the two girls.

* * *

Brianna, Ellody, Cindy, Velma, and Trish went inside of the museum.

"Hello?" Velma called out. "Hello!"

"Oh, um, hi," Cindy said as she found a clerk who was putting worms inside of a cup. "We have some questions."

"$5 to look all you want, flash photography's okay, but no video." The clerk replied.

"Well, here's my money, but we're curious about Dapper Jack." Velma said as she held out a five dollar bill.

"Dapper Jack was the foulest, vilest, lowdown, dirtiest, no account human being ever to walk the Earth and you will find many fascinating artifacts of his life and times presented here in," The clerk replied. "$5 to look all you want, flash photography's okay, but no video."

"No, no, I got that, but we're just wondering if you could tell us more about him." Velma put her dollar down.

"Lady, this is what we got," The clerk told her. "You got money, you go through the stuff, that's it."

Some of the worms fell onto Cindy's face which made her squirm nervously.

"Come on, there must be more to the museum than that." Ellody told the clerk.

"Yeah, there's bait," The clerk replied. "Night crawlers or red worms?"

The doors soon opened to show Daphne and Lisa in their new cowgirl outfits.

"Howdy, partners!" Daphne greeted.

"Lookin' good, Daph." Brianna approved.

"Thanks." Daphne smiled.

"Phew!" Jade sighed as she came into the shop as well. "I've never seen 'em shop like that."

"Well, howdy, ladies." The clerk greeted as he handed the can of worms to Cindy.

Cindy shuddered about the worms.

"Exhibit's $5, look at all you want, flash photography and video are okay." The clerk told them.

"You told us no video!" Velma folded her arms with a glare.

The clerk glared back at the genius girl.

Daphne winked and pulls out five dollars, then clears her throat. "I was wondering if you could tell us any more about Dapper Jack?"

"I don't know much myself, ma'am," The clerk smiled as he took the money from her and put it in his pocket. "You can look around back if you'd like. There's some stuff from the exhibit."

"Why, thank you kindly." Jade replied as she slammed his fingers in the table.

"You're right welcome, OW!" The clerk replied before groaning and pulling out his hand. "Man, look at that... That ain't gonna heal right."

Cindy giggled as something bad happened someone other than her for a change.

* * *

They all came into the back and were surrounded by boxes.

"Ugh, I give up," Velma complained. "This place is messier than Shaggy's closet. There's nothing interesting here!"

"Are these fish real?" Cindy wondered as she picked up one fish before fishing poles fell on top of her. "That didn't hurt! Maybe today must be my lucky day..."

"Hold that thought, look at this." Daphne said as she moved a box to show a locked trunk on top of another box.

"Rufus Carmichael's diary." Cindy realized.

"That's the sheriff who caught Dapper Jack." Trish memorized.

"Reading that should shed a little light on Shaggy's ancestor." Brianna suggested.

"Someone broke into it!" Ellody gasped.

"They must've used bolt cutters." Cindy said as she took the lock which looked broken.

The box was then opened only to be empty.

"It's gone!" Velma and Ellody gasped.

"They stole the diary!" Lisa added.

"Someone's really going to some effort to keep Dapper Jack's past a mystery." Brianna stated.

"Let's see if our new buddy knows anything." Jade suggested.

* * *

They then came back to the front to talk with the clerk about Rufus Carmichael's missing diary.

"Someone stole the sheriff's diary, huh?" The clerk asked as he bandaged up his hand. "I didn't even know we had that, I really focus on the bait side of things. We got minnows now. Bass really go for minnows."

"Any idea of who could have taken it?" Ellody asked about the diary.

"Just about anyone," The clerk shrugged. "I don't even lock the place up anymore. I've been fixing to sell out to that Black Rattler company that's been buying up the town and it'll probably just sell all this old junk out. Now, can I interest you nice ladies in some leeches?" he then took out a cup of the blood sucking critters.

The girls groaned and walked out of the store.

"We couldn't get a thing out of that clerk until you and Lisa showed up." Velma said to Daphne.

"Oh, forget that guy; let's just dress up and have some fun," Daphne replied as she put her hat on Velma's head. "It'll be like going undercover."

"No way, maybe you guys can, but there's no way I'm dressing like that!" Ellody winced.

"Let's invite my Uncle Penn so he can be the bull!" Cindy laughed as she took out her jump-rope.

"Challenge accepted." Daphne stated.

"I knew I shouldn't have said that." Ellody groaned.

"Yer darn tootin' you shouldn't have." Lisa giggled as she practiced a Southern drawl.


	13. Chapter 13

**_Meanwhile, back over to the ranch, the others went to the barn where Kyle, Jacob, and Larry were at..._**

"We're here for the shoeing." Fred told the guys.

"We'll get to that in a bit, city boy," Kyle smirked as he rode on his horse. "First it's time for that opening and riding ya paid good money for."

"We didn't pay anything." Shaggy replied.

"Great, well, then we don't have to be nice to you." Kyle laughed.

"Saddle up." Jacob said as he brought out saddles.

"Come on, it ain't hard, I do this all the time." Larry smiled to the others as he saddled up his own horse.

"I don't know if I can do this," Shaggy nervously told Fred. "I haven't been around horses much."

"Just watch what the ranch hands do," Fred told him. "I'm sure we'll pick it up quick enough."

Kyle then got onto his horse and the others looked to each other and just shrugged. Fred tried to get on one horse only to fall on the other side and missing the saddle. Shaggy and Scooby didn't have trouble as they rode on a horse and passed Fred and his horse. Mike got on her horse easily just like Lil, Trent, and Katrina.

"Oh, my gosh," Lil smiled. "This is so cool."

"I got this... I got this..." Katrina smiled as she rode the horse with ease.

Scott got it in a couple of tries, so did Lightning and Chicken, but Fred, not so much, as he was upside down and keep hitting his head as the horse was walking.

* * *

It was then time to do some roping. Kyle twirled his lasso and tossed it onto a bull model. Fred tried it, but he tied himself up. Mike tried it and managed to get three. Finally, Shaggy tied Scooby up like a cow.

"Impressive." Scott said.

"Whoa, those two are a couple of naturals." Jacob added.

Millie, Tawny, Jacob, and Larry put out the fire while the others was going to calm down the horses.

"Sit! Sit!" Fred told the charging horse like it was a dog.

The horse runs to the teen and Fred ran away and tripped over a bucket of paint.

"Man, Fred's just having all sorts of bad luck on this trip." Cindy commented.

The horse soon ran to her.

"Ooh, nice horsey!" Cindy ran out of the way. "MOMMY!"

The horse then bucked her in the air.

" **SOMEONE HELP ME!** " Cindy yelped and then fell right back on the horse's back and he began to run around with her.

Scooby soon ran by the side and jumped onto the horse's back and whispered into its ear.

"I think I'm going to be sick..." Cindy moaned.

The horse soon stopped after Scooby had whispered to it.

Cindy moaned and slid off the horse and landed on the Great Dane's back. "So, Scooby, you can talk to horses?" she asked as she rubbed her head.

"Ri ruess." Scooby smiled innocently.

"That's pretty awesome." Cindy said.

"Well, I'll be!" Tawny was impressed. "I-I ain't seen nuthin' like that!" she then picked up Cindy and hugged her. "You're a born horseman, little lady!"

"Uh, thanks..." Cindy blushed from the hug.

"Cindy, are you okay?" Velma rushed over with Lisa, Daphne, and Ellody.

"Yeah, we're fine." Cindy said.

Lisa hugged Cindy who blushed as Fred limped over to the others.

"I think I sprained my ankle... If anyone cares..." Fred told the others.

* * *

They went back to the bunk house and Daphne bandaged Fred's ankle.

"Well, what have we got?" Trent asked. "Anything?"

"Not much in the way of suspects." Ellody replied.

"Yeah, Tawny and Raft both stand about losing their ranch, so they seem pretty unlikely." Brianna added.

"But that Kimberly girl seemed pretty uneasy to me." Lil commented.

"Possibly..." Velma replied.

"Maybe it's one of those jokey sisters playing a prank." Cindy suggested.

"This seems a little too elaborate for them." Jade replied.

"What about that Jess Harper guy?" Fred suggested. "He seems a little shady, and he's even been on wanted posters before."

"Hey!" Mike glared at Fred. "What're you saying about my uncle?!"

"I'm just saying, he seems a little shady to me." Fred said as he put his hands up in defense.

"Well, he's not a bad guy!" Mike glared.

"Who could be our suspect?" Cindy pondered once Lil got Mike to calm down around Fred's accusation.

"What about that Gunderson girl?" Brianna suggested. "She seems pretty unhappy to be here; maybe she's trying to scare her parents so that they can all go back home."

"Hmm... Maybe." Velma replied.

"Does anyone have any clues?" Ellody asked.

"Just some florid acid that Tawny told us about," Fred took out something. "You think it's connected to the ghost?"

"Absolutely," Velma replied as she brought out a brown case and got something out of it. "Let me show you something."

"What about that Black Rattler Management Company?" Jade asked. "They're buying an awful lot in local real estate."

"So?" Lightning replied.

"So, Jade doesn't know if anyone else noticed, but about 80-90% of the ghosts we run into wind up having something to do with real estate." Daphne told him.

"Huh... I never noticed that." Katrina commented.

"Me neither." Brianna had to admit.

"Check this out," Velma said as she poured a cup into the acid before stirring and lighting a lighter onto it. "Florid acid burns green, maybe the ghost is using it for the green flames he shoots out of his guns."

"Dude, that's awesome!" Shaggy said before laughing with Scooby.

"Like, we can blow up some other stuff?!" Lightning asked hopefully until everybody looked at him. "So, no... Then, it's a no?"

"You're right about that Black Rattler Management company though, Jade," Ellody said to the cowgirl. "I'm gonna have to do a little internet research on them."

"Me too." Velma added.

"I'll help!" Cindy offered.

"What about Dave and David?" Fred asked. "What're they up to?"

"The producers?" Daphne asked. "Maybe they're here to-"

"No, what're they up to right now?" Fred pointed out the window.

Dave put something in the trunk and David was standing guard.

"Totally suspicious." Scott said to the others.

"Should we follow them?" Lisa asked.

"I say yes." Fred nodded to her.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Shaggy said. "It's gonna be dark soon and there's a ghost around!"

Scooby shivered.

"Uh-huh." Cindy added.

"Fine, we'll go, and you can stay here all alone in the place where the ghost appeared last night." Trent replied.

The trio looked at each other and then agreed.

"All righty, let's find out what they're up to." Shaggy spoke for all o them.

Cindy's cell phone soon rang as she then answered it. "Yeah?" she answered.

 ** _"Hey, Cindy, what're you up to?"_** Penn asked as he was raiding the fridge. ** _"Your parents went to a meeting and abandoned me."_**

"I'd love to talk, but I'm busy." Cindy told her 'uncle'.

 ** _"But, Cindy-"_** Penn tried only for Cindy to hang up on him.

"Uh, Mike, I want to apologize for thinking that your uncle is a suspect." Fred said to the tomboy.

"Just don't let it happen again," Mike warned Fred. "You dis my family, you dis me."

"I didn't even know that he was your uncle." Fred replied.

"I clearly said it when you met him." Mike rolled her eyes.

"Guess he was too busy checking out Daphne." Lil smirked.

"Oh, ha ha ha, very funny." Fred deadpanned.

"I thought it was." Lil replied.

"Come on, they're getting in their car, let's get in the Mystery Machine." Cindy suggested.

"I sure hope that Uncle Jess is okay," Mike said. "He's been gone for a real long time."

"I'm sure he's fine, Mike, we'll go look for him when we get back unless you wanna find him now." Lil told her girlfriend.

"We can find him when we get back." Mike decided.

The others went inside the Mystery Machine while Mike and Lil went on their motorcycle to follow Dave and David.

* * *

Dave and David soon got out of their car with their bag.

"What the heck could they be doing here?" Velma wondered.

"What's that case he's carrying?" Chicken wondered.

The gang then hid behind the rocks so they could see what the producers are up to.

"Is that a gun?" Jade asked.

"I think it is." Trent replied.

"I can't see..." Cindy pouted as she was too short.

"Come on, man, move!" Shaggy added.

"We can't see!" Scooby pouted.

"Scooch over... Can I just...?" Cindy added as she tried to lean over only to fell down the hill and then panic as she landed in front of Dave and David. "Don't shoot!"

"Shoot?" David asked her.

"No, don't shoot, I'm too young to die, just put down the-" Cindy panicked until David set down the object which wasn't a gun after all. "Tripod? Oh, wow, we thought that was a-" she then yelled out as the ledge below her feet broke and she then began to fall.

"Cindy!" Everyone panicked for the girl.

Cindy got onto a rock in the ledge. "Aw, man, I need some help... Is someone out there?" she then reached into her pocket and took out the button that Penn gave her and pushed it with her free hand since this was an emergency.

The group came over to the little girl.

"Are you okay?" Chicken asked.

"Oh, I'm fine, just a nice little evening out and about, and- **PULL ME UP TO SAFETY, WILL YOU?!** " Cindy yelled out.

"Don't worry," Mike reassured. "We'll save you."

Ellody narrowed her eyes and Cindy was floating up back to safety thanks to the genius girl's telekinesis.

"Oh, man," Cindy said. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, Ellody."

"You're welcome," Ellody replied. "Are you okay now?"

"I think so." Cindy said before stretching.

The gang then met up with the producers.

"So, you thought that we had something to do with the ghost?" Dave asked.

"Sorry, it was just-" Fred started.

Daphne giggled nervously. "You were coming out here to this isolated place... And... Uh... Heh..."

"We were just taking some pictures," David smiled. "Scouting some locations for our movie."

"Ooh, a movie?" Shaggy asked.

"About the nefarious Dapper Jack and the heroic Sheriff Carmichael." Dave replied.

"Guess I won't be starring in that one." Cindy commented.

"Man, if you make a movie on that, everyone's gonna know about my jerk ancestor." Shaggy groaned.

"We feel like it's time for a big Blockbuster Western." Dave defended.

"All the science-fiction, superhero, and zombie movies really run its course." David added.

"And in that case, we're gonna make Dapper Jack an alien zombie superhero robot from the future." Dave added.

"Also, Sheriff Carmichael might have a rapping monkey that grants wishes," David smiled as he then looked down to Cindy as he showed a picture on his phone. "Sound like fun, kiddo?"

"I prefer sophisticated comedy with jokes from books like Charlotte Bronte." Cindy replied as she adjusted her glasses.

* * *

"Uncle Jess, please be okay." Mike prayed.

"Wanna go look for him?" Lil suggested.

"He promised he'd be back..." Mike said.

"Come on, Mike, let's go find him." Lil comforted.

"He should be fine... I hope." Mike sighed.

"You know, if you want to find out about Dapper Jack, you're in the wrong place." David told the others.

"Yeah, you should really check out his grave," Dave added. "It's right down the road."

"Did you say grave...?" Cindy gulped. "I don't like graves..."

"Just trying to help, kid." Dave shrugged.

"Um, you guys can go on right ahead," Mike told the others. "I want to find my Uncle Jess."

"Okay, Mike, take your time..." Cindy said, trying to hide her nerves about going to a graveyard.

"Don't worry, Mike, I'm sure that your uncle is okay." Lil soothed.

"I hope he is..." Mike sighed. "He really made a difference in my life... He was like another father to me."

"Don't worry, we'll find him," Lil coaxed. "It's going to be okay."

Mike only sighed as she went with Lil to find her Uncle Jess.


	14. Chapter 14

**_Meanwhile..._**

Penn panted as he was walking all the way to the dude ranch while looking like he could pass out and die right now. "I should've... Waited... For the stupid airport..." he grunted before passing out in the middle of the road. "This is it... Goodbye, Cindy... Goodbye... Um,... Her friends... I'll miss you all. Hang on, Carlotta, I'm coming!"

"Ew, ew, I hate death, ew, no..." Cindy wandered to the road only to trip over Penn. "Oof! At least I landed on this giant marshmallow."

"Get off of me," Penn muffled. "I'm not a marshmallow."

Cindy soon got off and cleaned her glasses and took a closer look. "Jeez, it's you!" she then backed up nervously, she then came back and grabbed his hand to pull him up and tried to make him stand up as she leaned against his back. "Gah... Don't fall on me... Don't fall!"

Penn soon stood up, brushing himself off.

"Phew!" Cindy said in relief that he didn't fall on her.

"Cindy, you helped me stand up..." Penn smiled. "I guess you're not so weak and pathetic."

"Says the guy who guest starred in Friends in 1997." Cindy teased.

"Watch it." Penn growled.

"Sorry, Uncle Penn." Cindy replied.

"Say, where's your friend Mike?" Penn asked.

"She's looking for her Uncle Jess." Cindy told him.

"Wait... What're you doing here?" Penn asked.

Cindy narrowed her eyes. "I swear, you never listen to me, I should be asking what you're doing here!"

"I came to rescue you because I felt that you were in trouble." Penn explained.

"You came to rescue me?" Cindy cooed. "Aww... I knew it... Deep down with that wild and crazy personality, you're a puppy dog Mom would adopt with a big heart!"

Penn paused for a moment and put his hands in front of him with a playful smirk. "Tell Mommy that Puppy wants bath~"

"Don't ruin the moment!" Cindy groaned.

"Sorry, so, where are you other guys going?" Penn asked.

"To the grave of Dapper Jack." Cindy replied.

"Dapper Jack..." Penn repeated as he walked with her. "I feel like I've heard that name somewhere..."

* * *

 **Random flashback...**

 _"Before I work with you, I must warn you to watch out for certain figures like Dapper Jack..." Teller advised._

 **End of flashback.**

* * *

"Oh, my God..." Penn's eyes widened. "Teller can talk!"

Cindy gave him a deadpan look and they followed everyone else except for Mike and Lil.

* * *

Meanwhile, Mike and Lil was looking for the ex-gunslinger now worked for the Sherman Ranch.

"Mike, look at this," Lil pointed out. "I found some tracks... They look like horse tracks."

"Horse tracks, huh?" Mike asked before she took a closer look. "Hmm..."

"You think it could be from his horse?" Lil asked.

"It's still warm, he might not be too far from here." Mike said hopefully.

Lil nodded before gasping and looking back down to see a little bit of blood. "Uh, Mike... You may wanna look at this...?"

Mike came over and saw her girlfriend pointing at the little puddle of blood.

"Blood... From who?" Mike frowned.

"I don't like where this is going." Lil frowned back.

Mike sniffed the blood with her enhanced sense of smell due to being part wolf and her eyes soon widened. "I think this is Uncle Jess's blood." she then told Lil.

Lil's eyes widened back to that and she gasped. Mike and Lil continued to follow the horse tracks and blood.

"Mike, look!" Lil pointed ahead.

They both could see a man tied to a tree.

"Uncle Jess, is that you?!" Mike cried out.

"Mike, it is him." Lil replied.

They then ran to the tied up man as he groaned.

"Uncle Jess?" Mike asked.

"Mike... Is that you?" Jess weakly asked.

"Are you okay?" Lil asked the man.

"Yeah, I feel like I just got kicked by a mule." Jess groaned.

"Do you know who did this to you?" Mike frowned to her maternal uncle.

"I couldn't see," Jess replied. "After I got knocked out, the last thing I saw was these two guys and a girl."

Mike began to untie her uncle.

"Oh, you poor man..." Lil frowned. "You look trashed."

"I'll be fine," Jess assured. "I've had tougher challenges than this."

"I'm just glad you're safe." Mike soon hugged her uncle. "I was so worried about you."

"Sorry that I was worrying you, kiddo." Jess said as he wiped blood from his lip.

"The others are at Dapper Jack's grave." Lil told the ex-gunslinger.

"Let's go rescue them before they could get into trouble." Jess said as he hooked on his gun belt and put on his hat.

"Are you sure that you're all right?" Mike asked her uncle.

"I've faced much worse than this, Mike, Lillian, let's go." Jess decided.

"Okay, as long as you're sure." Mike told her uncle.

Jess then got on his horse while Mike and Lil got on the motorcycle and they all headed to the graveyard.

* * *

Cindy took Penn's hand as they came into the graveyard. "This is the graveyard..." she then told him. "Penn...?"

Penn frowned as he sat next to a grave marked 'Sam & Valda' as he looked like he was going to cry.

"Penn, what's wrong?" Cindy asked the man.

Penn wiped his eyes. "Nothing..."

"You can tell me..." Cindy sat next to him.

Penn sighed, he then showed her the grave. "Mom, Dad, this is Cindy..." he said with tears in his eyes. "Cindy, these are my parents..." he then said before crying into his hands.

"Oh... Oh!" Cindy replied. "Penn, I'm so sorry, please don't cry."

Penn sniffled as he grabbed her by her hood and blew his nose into her hood.

"Okay, stop, please!" Cindy cried out in disgust.

Penn soon sniffled and then wiped his eyes. Cindy fell down on the ground and grimaced as her sweater was now icky. The others met up with Penn and Cindy.

"Hey, what's going on here?" Velma asked.

"Nothing, Valerie, I was just leaving..." Penn sniffled.

"Velma." Velma corrected.

"Whatever." Penn said.

They heard a owl hoot which scared Shaggy, Scooby, and Cindy.

"Calm down, you guys." Fred told them.

"Sure, what's nothing to be scared about?" Shaggy replied. "We're just by my ancestor's grave at night in the area he's been haunting!"

"And the snack bar... It's... It's closed!" Penn cried out.

" **NOOOO!** " Shaggy, Scooby, and Penn cried out together in dismay.

"I thought you were trying to lose weight, eh, Uncle Chubbs?" Cindy poked Penn's stomach.

"Oh, look," Brianna said. "This is where they rent canoes."

"Ew, what's this eerie green mist?" Daphne wondered.

"Surely it's a smoke machine..." Cindy replied logically.

"Kinda suspicious if you ask me." Ellody said.

"Like, this place is giving me the creeps." Shaggy replied.

"Hey, there it is!" Trent said as he pointed to the headstone.

"The grave of Dapper Jack." Scott added.

There was then a strange moan noise heard.

"Huh? Look!" Velma pointed to the grave as there was now a green flame on it, and it even had words on it.

"'Evil Lives On'?" Jade read aloud.

They then heard disembodied laughter.

"I don't like the sound of that..." Ellody grew nervous herself.

They look above and saw Dapper Jack on his horse, shooting his guns.

"I knew that this was a bad idea!" Shaggy panicked.

"I know, I should've stayed home alone." Penn agreed as he felt he came all this way for nothing.

Velma then suddenly sneezed. "Well, the horse isn't a ghost... Wait! Can you be allergic to ghosts?!"

"Hmm... I feel like this might not be a ghost after all..." Ellody pondered.

"LIGHTNING AND HIS LADY FIRST IN THE ESCAPE!" Lightning cried out.

"Hold on a second, Lightning, I don't think that's a real ghost!" Ellody told her boyfriend.

Lightning didn't hear her, but flung her over his shoulder and everyone ran from the ghost who was chasing after them.

Ellody sighed. "The life of a genius is a lonely one."

* * *

The ghost laughed wickedly as he shot at them to block their escapes.

"I don't wanna die!" Chicken cried out. "I haven't even taken Katrina to the prom!"

"Help me." Lisa whimpered as she hugged Scott.

"I'M NOT YOUR BOYFRIEND!" Scott glared at Lisa.

"I think I wet my pants." Penn said which disgusted Cindy.

Everyone, except for Fred, soon held onto each other.

"This way!" Fred pointed as he found a way out.

Everyone followed, except for Scooby, he couldn't go anywhere because a flame was right in front of him. Scooby shivered as the horse snorted on him, but he soon zipped underneath the horse and ran with the gang.

"The canoes!" Daphne spotted.

Shaggy stopped with a glare. "I told you, I'm never getting in one of those!"

"Then stay here with the ghost!" Jade threatened.

"I'm getting in! Scooch!" Shaggy replied. "Come on, Scoob!"

"Come on, Scooby, you can make it!" Cindy called out to the Great Dane.

Scooby was running to the canoe and jumped into it and then the canoe as it started to move. Cindy groaned as she flopped on the end of the canoe, already looking sick to her stomach as the others paddled to get away from the ghost. The ghost then followed the group.

"I should've just stayed home today." Penn groaned to himself.

Shaggy and Scooby panicked as they put their hands in the water and paddled quicker as the ghost was coming after them.

"Oh, where's Mike and Lil when you need them?" Cindy moaned.

They soon rowed up to a fork in the water with two ways to go.'

"We can make it to that fork!" Chicken told the others. "He can't follow us if we stick to the right! Uncle Longhorn taught me that."

Dapper Jack shot his gun and a tree fell right in front of them.

"Or maybe he can!" Katrina yelped.

"Look out!" Cindy cried out.

They then went into the other direction with no choice.

"I think we're heading into the rapids!" Scott told the others.

Dapper Jack laughed wickedly as they went down the flowing water. They all tried to control the canoe so that they wouldn't hit the rocks. Unfortunately, they had no such luck as their paddles were crushed by the rocks on the way down the rapids.

"Penn, if we die, I just wanted you to know that I used your magic wand to unclog the toilet." Cindy said.

"Wait, what?!" Penn asked her.

Cindy just smiled sheepishly and continue to scream as they were heading to the Rapids. Penn held onto Cindy as they both screamed for their lives.

"Lightning can't go out like this!" Lightning cried out. "I never got to kiss a Super Bowl ring!"

The others mumbled about that.

"Hold me, Scott." Lisa told the former devious teen boy.

"Will you get off of me?!" Scott groaned. "I know you're Jade's friend, but get off of me, I love her, not you!"

"Lisa, get off of him right now!" Jade scolded her friend.

"Aww..." Lisa pouted.

"Can I tell to you for a sec?" Jade glared to her childhood best friend.

"Why is it getting so much louder?" Shaggy asked.

"WATERFALL!" Cindy called out.

"Maybe we can lasso that tree!" Velma suggested.

"Shaggy and Jade, you can do it!" Trent told the cowardly teen and the cowgirl.

"You got it, pard." Jade replied bravely.

"I don't know," Shaggy said. "I guess I can try."

"Shaggy, if you can't lasso that tree with Jade, we're all dead!" Daphne warned her cowardly friend before smiling innocently. "But, no pressure~"

Shaggy muttered nervously.

"Come on, Shaggy, ya can do it," Jade told Shaggy. "It's all in the wrist."

"Here goes nuthin'!" Shaggy called out.

* * *

With that, Shaggy and Jade managed to lasso the tree, but the celebration stopped as the branch broke off.

"Boy, that sucks." Penn groaned.

"Penn, am I gonna die with you?" Cindy asked.

"Sweetie..." Penn soothed with a smile and touched her shoulder.

Cindy smiled back to him.

"Yes." Penn suddenly frowned before crying miserably.

Cindy's eyes widened too and she cried along with him. "I haven't gotten to see a PG-13 movie yet!"

They all screamed as they were about to go over the waterfall, but something stopped them. Everyone looked back to see that the branch had got caught in a couple of rocks which held them back and secure as if by dumb luck.

"Wow, that was quite lucky." Jade smiled to Shaggy.

"Told you..." Shaggy sighed. "These things are death traps..."

Everyone soon got out to safety until the next morning as that was an adventure of its own.


	15. Chapter 15

Everyone panted as they walked through the desert.

"Man, it's hotter than Nevada over here..." Penn panted as he walked with the others. "I'd give anything for a Desert Bus right about now."

"So hot... Too far... Never gonna make it..." Shaggy moaned.

"Would you quit being so dramatic?" Scott told him.

"Also, the road is that way!" Fred pointed out.

A car soon pulled up on the road and out came Shaggy's cousin.

"I'm so relieved to find you!" Tawny told the others as she came with Scott's cousin, Millie. "We were so worried sick!"

"Are you guys okay?" Millie added.

"We were okay," Ellody replied. "Don't feel bad."

"After we got away from the ghost, we were just fine." Katrina added.

"Well, once we got past the rapids." Brianna said.

"And the waterfall." Trent added.

"Yeah, no sweat." Chicken nodded.

"Oh, if you guys died, it would've been all my fault," Tawny frowned. "I'm the one who brought you here."

"Hey, don't worry," Shaggy soothed his country cousin. "You just did it so we could all get to know each other."

Everyone else smiled to Tawny to make her feel better about her guilt.

"Yer right, cous," Tawny said to Shaggy. "By the way, I own the canoe rental place, so last night's canoe with the tax and resort fee comes to $80."

"Huh?" Everyone else asked.

"Cash, check, or credit?" Tawny continued.

"What a rip-off." Penn grumbled.

"Say, where's Mike and Lil?" Millie asked.

"Oh, no, we forgot about them," Cindy panicked. " **THE GHOST OF DAPPER JACK MUST'VE GOTTEN THEM!** "

"Cindy?" Mike then asked as she tapped Cindy's shoulder.

"Why did you take them?!" Cindy continued to ramble.

"Hey, Cindy." Lil said.

"One second, Mike and Lil," Cindy told them before continuing to rant. "What are we gonna tell everyone else back in town?! Mike told me it was always okay to be myself and sometimes I just gotta go with a situation! Oh, Lu and Og are going to be very unhappy that their best friend is gone, oh, and not to mention Nicktropolis without Lil DeVille!"

"Cindy!" Lil called out.

"I can hear their voices right now... Calling my name..." Cindy said.

Mike and Lil soon spun Cindy around and made her look at them.

"Oh!" Cindy replied. "Mike and Lil, you're okay!...Uh, what happened to you guys last night?"

"We were looking for my Uncle Jess last night." Mike replied.

"Did you find him?" Daphne asked.

"Yeah, he was a little beat up, but he told us he was fine," Lil said before she heard a horse galloping. "Oh, here he comes."

Everyone then looked over.

"Whoa!" Jess called as he settled down his horse and came to them.

"Hey, Uncle Jess." Mike smiled.

"Howdy, Mike," Jess replied as he soon got off of his horse. "Are your friends okay?"

"Yeah, we're okay, sir," Fred nodded. "Thank you."

"But we ran into the ghost again!" Chicken yelped. "I was so scared that I was about to lose my feathers!"

"Are you all right, sir?" Cindy asked Jess. "Lil said you got beat up."

"I'm fine," Jess replied. "Just knowing my niece and her friends are safe makes me happy too."

"We almost went down a waterfall, but Shaggy ended up savin' us." Jade smiled.

"But I couldn't take all the credit," Shaggy replied "You helped me too."

"Well, I tried based on what I know growin' up in Texas." Jade shrugged modestly.

"Now we just gotta come up with 80 bucks..." Penn deadpanned. "I left my wallet in my other pants."

"No problem," Jess replied. "I'll just use the money I made from a cattle drive I did last month."

"Oh, you don't have to do that for us, sir." Velma said.

"I insist," Jess replied. "Any friend of Mike's is a friend of mine."

Everyone thanked the ex-gunslinger for his assistance in helping them.

* * *

Once the canoes were paid for, Tawny drove them back into town to safety.

"Thanks for the ride into town, Tawny." Fred said.

"No problem," Tawny smiled to them before driving off again once they were dropped off. "See ya back at the ranch!"

"Bye, Scott, see ya later." Millie added.

"See ya, cous." Scott replied.

Lisa smiled to Scott until Jade glared at her. "What?"

"Can I talk to ya about Scott?" Jade scolded her oldest friend.

"Okay..." Lisa said.

"Alone!" Jade replied sharply.

"Wait, before we go anywhere, I want to go check out that bag." Ellody said.

"Me too," Velma agreed. "Let me grab my bag."

The others let the genius girls do what they needed to do while Jade dragged Lisa off to a spot to talk alone.

"Jade, are you mad at me?" Lisa asked.

"Yeah, I'm mad!" Jade glared. "Look, I know you're upset because of how much of a jerk Jeff had been to you, but Scott is my boyfriend, not yers! You're actin' like his cousin Rodney when he jumps off the Love Track of Quick Draw McGraw and falls in love with the first filly he sees! I'm very ashamed of you!"

"I'm sorry, Jade," Lisa pouted. "I just miss having a boyfriend, and Jeff really loved football more than he loved me... I found out when I was babysitting Dexter and Dee Dee for you that one time. Plus... I kinda had a crush on Scott when I watched Revenge of the Island for the first time."

"Why didn't ya just say that in the first place?" Jade asked.

"I was just scared to tell you," Lisa replied. "I'm sorry if I tried to take Scott away from you."

"I'm disappointed in ya, Lisa, I told you that Jeff boy was no good in the first place..." Jade sighed.

"Are you gonna stop being friends with me?" Lisa sniffled as she looked like she was going to cry.

"What? No..." Jade said. "Lisa, I've known ya for years... Look, I'll tell you what, when we get home, we'll find you a better boyfriend than Jeff ever was... Would ya like that? Just remember, Scott Wallis is off-limits."

Lisa smiled and hugged her best friend while crying. "I'm sorry, Jade... I'm so sorry..."

Jade hugged Lisa back and gently stroked her back. "It's okay... Now, I'm not mad," she then soothed. "Come on, let's wipe those little eyes and get back to the others."

"Okay." Lisa sniffled.

Jade took Lisa's hand and they walked over together.

"Everything okay?" Scott asked the girls.

"Yeah, just had a little bit of a talk," Jade reassured. "But everything is fine now."

* * *

Velma and Ellody hummed as they found something on the grave.

"Guys, we found something." Ellody announced.

"What have you got?" Fred asked the smart girls.

"Wait 'til you see this!" Velma replied as she took Daphne's cowgirl hat off and put it over the grave. "It's UV powder, look!"

"Look!" Ellody added. "Someone used this to make those glowing words on the headstone last night."

"And look what Scooby found," Trent showed. "Speakers."

"That's where the sounds were coming from." Brianna concluded.

"Someone sure went to a lot of trouble to scare us." Lisa crossed her arms.

"Yeah, well, it worked," Shaggy said. "Like, I don't care if the ghost is real or not, it almost killed us!"

"We're gonna have to be careful going forward." Velma advised.

"Really careful." Ellody added.

"So, who do you think that the ghost could be?" Chicken wondered. "My money is on that Jacob guy."

"No way, it's gotta be Kimberly." Lil stated.

"I think it's that mascot girl, Wendy." Scott suggested.

"You're all wrong!" Lightning disagreed. "It's Mike's uncle, Jess Harper!"

Mike just rolled her eyes about that.

"I haven't been here long enough, so I can't guess anyone..." Penn said as he simply stood there.

"How do we know you're not the ghost?" Lightning asked him.

"Were you dropped on your head as a baby?" Penn deadpanned.

The group was then heading back towards the ranch and went into the barn, seeing Tawny putting up decorations.

"Are you setting up for the barn dance?" Katrina asked Tawny.

"Uh-huh," Tawny nodded. "After tonight's rodeo."

"Can I help?" Daphne asked.

"Sure thing, there's some stuff in that box, I could use another helper." Tawny replied.

"Another helper?" Brianna asked.

"Yup," Tawny smiled. "Kyle's niece is helping out too."

"Uh, that hamburger girl?" Lil asked about Wendy.

"Why sure!" Tawny smiled.

"Hi, guys," Wendy giggled. "Hey, Mike, could we take a walk? I need to talk to you."

"Uh, I don't know if-" Mike began since Lil was a bit of a jealous girl.

"Go ahead," Lil allowed this time. "You two catch up."

"Wow, thanks, Lil!" Wendy beamed. "Uh, we'll be right back, Miss Tawny."

"All right, dear." Tawny replied.

Wendy giggled as she then linked arms with Mike and walked off with a spring in her step.

"No funny business either, Wendy." Lil warned the redheaded girl with pigtails.

"Don't worry; I won't do anything, I promise." Wendy promised.

"It's your funeral if you don't." Mike muttered slightly to the old-fashioned hamburgers fast food mascot.

* * *

"Oh, Mike, you should come visit more often other than maybe McDonald Land..." Wendy told the tomboy. "I mean, Ronald has a new gang of friends to join him on adventures... That Ellody girl you hang out with reminds me of that girl Tika that Ronald knows."

"Well, sure, I mean, we could sometime..." Mike shrugged about going to McDonald Land.

"Oh, Mike, could I tell you something?" Wendy asked.

"Sure, what's up?" Mike replied.

"I think there's something wrong with Uncle Kyle," Wendy told Mike. "He hasn't been acting like himself lately."

"He hasn't been acting like himself?" Mike asked. "How do you mean?"

"He always leaves, not saying anything and one day, he had blood on his hand," Wendy explained. "I asked him how he got it and he said that he punched a tree, at the same day he brought the rope before he got the blood on his hand."

Mike eyes widened as she remembers that her Uncle Jess got tied up at the tree and beat up.

"I'm worried about him..." Wendy frowned. "He hasn't been the same guy I grew up with..."

Mike looked to her.

Wendy looked back in concern. "Mike, are you okay?" she then asked as she noticed that Mike seemed horrified.

"Wendy, what else happened on that night?" Mike asked. "Was he alone?"

"No, Raft and Kimberly were with him," Wendy replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Hmm..." Mike hummed in thought.

"I wanted to go with him, but he told me to stay put until he came back." Wendy continued.

"What else do you know?" Mike asked.

"I even asked Kimberly what's going on, and she told me to stay out of this and left with her dad and Uncle Kyle." Wendy replied.

"Hmm... I might have to do some detective work... Something doesn't feel right." Mike told Wendy.

"Could I help, Mike?" Wendy asked. "Please, it's my Uncle Kyle..."

"Well... Okay, but be very careful..." Mike told Wendy. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"Thank you, Mike," Wendy replied. "Are you okay?"

"Someone beat up my Uncle Jess the other night," Mike explained. "He said that it was two guys and a girl."

"You don't think that my Uncle Kyle did this, do you?" Wendy asked out of fright.

"I hate to point fingers, but I'm labeling him as a suspect..." Mike replied. "I'm sorry, Wendy, it's nothing personal or against you and your family, I promise."

"It's okay..." Wendy shallowly sighed. "Maybe your Uncle Jess can tell us more about this."

"Good idea." Mike agreed.

"I'm not mad at you, Mike, but... Maybe my Uncle Kyle did do this..." Wendy frowned. "I don't wanna believe it though."

"Oh, Wendy, I'm sorry." Mike frowned back in empathy.

Wendy sniffed and hugged Mike, crying a little bit. Mike soothed Wendy and decided to pat her back to cheer her up.

"Oh, I want Daddy now..." Wendy sniffled. "I just can't believe my Uncle Kyle would do this... And to your uncle!"

"I know, but don't worry, you didn't know about this," Mike comforted. "Don't worry, your uncle will get justice of his own, I promise you."

"I guess so..." Wendy sighed.

"Don't worry, Wendy," Mike coaxed. "This isn't any of your fault."

"I just had to tell you because I know I could trust you." Wendy said.

"It'll be okay, Wendy..." Mike said as she gently patted the girl's hands. "I'm sorry this had to happen to you anyway, but don't worry, we'll get to the bottom of this Western Mystery."

"Thank you, Mike, I knew that I could count on you." Wendy nodded.

"Of course, Wendy," Mike replied. "You're my friend, and I wanna help you."

Wendy smiled at the tomboy who smiled back.

* * *

Meanwhile, the group was helping Tawny with the decorations, and Chicken saw the Cook, carrying rolls of wallpaper, and a clipboard.

"Hey, ain't you the stagecoach driver?" Chicken asked the cook.

"I'm also an interior designer." The cook replied.

Chicken just gave a look of deadpan.

"Wait a second," Brianna said as she found something. "Is this UV powder?"

"Uh-huh," Tawny nodded. "We use it to make the decorations light up," she then plugged in the lights and the light lit up and said 'REFRESHMENTS'. "See, like that? Pretty, huh?"

"This is the same powder we found on the grave!" Ellody told Tawny as she held the jar. "Who had access to these decorations?"

"Just about anyone, it's been sittin' in the barn." Millie shrugged.

"The barn..." Tawny sniffled. "I'm gonna miss the barn..."

"Oh, there, there, Tawny, it'll be okay." Millie soothed.

"What do you mean?" Scott asked.

"I'm going to have to sell out to Black Rattler Management," Tawny sighed. "I'm pretty sure Rafe and Kimberly will too, we have a mortgage payment coming up, and I don't have the $10,000."

"Hold the phone," Fred spoke up as he had an idea. "Don't sell the place yet, Shaggy can get ya that money."

"$10,000 prize for bronco riding?" Shaggy asked as he looked at the poster. "Bronco Riding? Isn't that dangerous?!"

"Nah, Scooby can talk to the horse before you ride it like Buckstitch," Fred smiled. "It'll be easy."

"Oh, yeah." Shaggy replied.

"Yeah." Scooby chuckled in agreement.

"You better get ready," Trent suggested. "The rodeo is tonight."

"Wait... The Night Rodeo?!" Shaggy yelped. "But what if the ghost shows up?!"

"We'll be ready if he does," Velma replied. "I have an idea."

"Let's hope it works, Vendetta." Penn replied.

"Um, my name is Velma." Velma told him.

"Whatever." Penn shrugged.

Cindy just face-palmed and shook her head.

"Come on, Cindy," Penn told the girl. "Let's get you a little cowgirl outfit."

"I don't wanna be a cowgirl." Cindy complained.

"Too bad, you're gonna be a cowgirl, and you are gonna like it." Penn said.

Cindy groaned in response.

* * *

Velma and Ellody worked together while Ellody had her best friend on video chat to help them out if necessary. The girl had a sharp nose with square/round glasses, long golden brunette hair, a striped shirt with oranges and browns mixed in, black pants, an orange bracelet, and dark burnt orange sneakers.

"Sorry you can't be here in person, Mary, but thanks for your help." Ellody smiled to her best friend.

 ** _"No problem,"_ ** Mary replied. **_"I'm just glad I can help with whatever I can do."_**

"You kinda remind me of that girl Blossom from the 80's TV Show, and not the Powerpuff Girl." Velma said to Mary.

 ** _"You must be Velma Dinkley from Mystery Inc."_** Mary replied.

"That's correct." Velma nodded.

 ** _"Oh, I thought maybe that was you,"_ ** Mary beamed. ** _"I'm a big fan of your work."_**

"Aw, thanks..." Velma smiled bashfully. "I can see why you and Ellody were on a team together, you're both very smart."

 ** _"Thank you,"_ ** Mary said. **_"So, what can I do for you?"_**

"Okay, Ellody and I have this idea." Velma replied.

"Yes, Mary, that's why I called you." Ellody added.

The two then shared their plan with the fellow genius girl.


	16. Chapter 16

It was starting to get dark as it was time for the rodeo. There was a group of three girls together who giggled. One girl had golden blonde hair tied in a low ponytail, a pink top with white shorts, and black sneakers. The other girl had curly brown hair with glasses, a periwinkle sweater, gray pants, and darker gray shoes. The final girl had short golden brunette hair with a purple tank top, a black skirt, and black sandals. They looked to see Buddy G's name and giggled together.

"Erica, Lynne, Virginia, ya guys made it." Kimberly smiled to the three girls before hugging them.

"Well, we wouldn't miss this for the world." Lynne smiled back.

"I still can't believe that you're working at the ranch." Erica added.

"Good to have you girls," Kimberly smiled. "You also made quite names for yourselves: The Country Chicks."

"Shh, you'll blow our cover." Virginia teased.

"Oops, sorry." Kimberly giggled.

"So, how's the ranch life?" Erica asked.

"Oh, you know," Kimberly replied. "Same old same old... Just not the same since you guys made it big like that Miley Stewart girl in Tennessee who became Hannah Montana."

"Is it true that Buddy G is here at The Crazy Q Ranch?" Lynne asked.

"That he is," Kimberly nodded. "I don't know where he is right now, but he should be here any sec now."

 ** _'Welcome to Sorghum City's annual rodeo and tonight, we're going to see one brave, confident bronco riding cowboy to win a $10,000 Grand Prize!'_** An announcer announced.

"Do I look confident to you?" Shaggy asked nervously in a country accent.

"Yup." Scooby replied.

"Good." Shaggy said.

The horse then snorted which made Shaggy shriek.

"Maybe I'll soak it from the outside." Shaggy said nervously.

 ** _'Ladies and gentlemen!'_ ** The announcer announced. ** _'Cowboys and Cowgals! Welcome the Rodeo's special guest: Buddy G!'_**

On stage, there was now Buddy G along with Carol and Sharon.

"Way to go, Aunt Carol and Aunt Sharon!" Trish cheered.

"Wait, you mean the sisters are-" Dave was about to ask.

"Buddy's back-up dancers." Midge smiled.

Soon enough, the teen pop web star began to dance with Trish's jokester aunts.

"Oh, Reggie will love this." Trish smiled as she posted this on her ToonFace account to send to Nicktropolis.

"They're really good!" Midge smiled to Carol and Sharon.

Buddy soon sang a pop country song for the rodeo.

"Oh, my God!" "There he is!" "Oh, he's so cute!" The teen girls cried out dreamily.

"Buddy G!" Daphne screamed along with the fanbase. "He's so awesome!"

* * *

 ** _In Nicktropolis..._**

" **BUDDY G!** " Angelica squealed as she streamed this on her tablet while on the living room couch while her cat looked annoyed that her nap was disturbed. "Fluffy, look, it's Buddy G!"

Fluffy didn't care and soon went back to sleep. Angelica then got so excited that she passed out.

* * *

 ** _Back with the others..._**

"I don't get the big deal over this kid." Cindy said to the others.

"He's, like, the coolest singer ever!" Daphne replied.

"You have no life, kid!" A girl added, glaring to Cindy.

"Well, sorry if I'm not a fan," Cindy replied. "I prefer books anyway."

"LOSER!" The teen girls glared.

"Sorry, I just don't get it." Cindy shrugged.

"It's okay, Cindy, I don't get it either." Penn said as he reached into a bag of popcorn he had.

"But I will admit this, he's a pretty good singer." Cindy said.

"If you say so..." Penn shrugged while eating his popcorn.

Buddy soon finished his song which made fireworks go off into the night sky. Everyone then cheered for the internet celebrity.

"All right, Buddy!" Erica beamed.

"That's a good little buckaroo!" Lynne laughed with Virginia.

Buddy got off the stage and a couple of kids came up to him.

"Buddy, you're the coolest." A girl smiled.

"Could I have your autograph?" Another girl added.

Buddy smiled to the girls who were around his age and soon gave them all autographs. A horse went past him which made him whimper a little bit.

"Do you wanna ride in the procession with the other riders, Buddy?" Midge smiled sweetly. "I'm sure they'd love to have you."

"NO!" Buddy frowned. "I... I can't."

"Come on, Scoob, I'll be up soon," Shaggy smiled as he began to climb. "You gotta talk to the horse I'll be riding."

"Whoa there, horsey!" Zeke said as he came up behind Scooby with a saddle.

"What? I'm not a horse!" Scooby replied.

"Here's your bridle, horsey." Zeke smiled.

Buddy frowned as he looked to the horses until he saw Scooby with Zeke. "Hey, I've got an idea on how I can join the recession." he then told his mother before going toward the cowardly Great Dane.

Midge smiled proudly as she allowed her son to walk off.

"Can I ride _him_?" Buddy asked about Scooby. "He looks so nice, I bet he wouldn't stomp a fly."

"Sure thing, little girl," Zeke smiled as he picked up Buddy after tossing away the bridle and put him on Scooby's back. "Let me help you."

"I'm not a-... Never mind..." Buddy sighed as it would be pointless.

"Tell your mama to buy you some prettier dresses, maybe a nice bow for your hair." Zeke suggested.

"Uh... Okay?" Buddy replied. "I guess giddy-up, little doggy."

Scooby then neighed like a horse and smiled to the teen web singer.

Shaggy was having a hard time getting on the horse.

"Hey there, son, are you going to be able to handle that horse?" A man asked.

"Like, yeah!" Shaggy smiled. "My dog's gonna talk to the horse and calm him down!"

"Uh-huh..." The other man replied as he glanced to his friend. "Maybe we should be getting you some safety gear to put on."

The two men then helped Shaggy down and helped him to safety.

"Plenty of time." Scooby smiled up to Buddy while walking with him to the others with their own horses.

"Queek Draw, are you sure this won't be confusing?" A young donkey asked his white horse friend.

"No problem, Baba Looey, this'll just be fun." The horse smiled down his donkey friend.

"Whatever you say, Queek Draw." Babe Looey shrugged.

"This is great!" Buddy laughed as he was having a lot of fun with Scooby so far. "Maybe I'm not such a wimp after all."

"Yeah, you're not a wimp." Scooby smiled.

One boy soon got off of his horse. Scooby smiled back to Buddy and then gestured for him to get on the actual horse.

Buddy nervously looked to the Great Dane and then got on the back of the horse, trying to be brave. "Hi, guys." He then waved to his family.

They all had to gasp once they saw that Buddy was actually riding a horse.

"Look at me!" Buddy laughed. "Yee-Haw!"

Even Desdemona looked happy for her little brother.

"Look, honey, there's Buddy on that horse!" Midge smiled.

"I'm proud of ya, son!" Andy called out.

"Huh, that's actually pretty cool," Desdemona smiled as she took pictures on her tablet. "You go, Squirt!"

* * *

"All right, Mike, you got it?" Jess asked.

"Yeah, I entered this just for fun," Mike said as she hopped onto a horse. "I learned from the best."

"Hey, that's Jess Harper, who's that with him?" One man commented from the background.

"That's his niece, I heard." Another man replied.

Jess smiled proudly as Mike rode her very own horse.

"Mike, you entered this too?" Shaggy asked as he had floaties, a football helmet, and a rubber duck floatie.

"Eh, I mostly did this for fun," Mike replied. "Are you okay? You look like Cindy when she first came to play dodgeball."

"Yeah, they just wanted to put some safety gear on me." Shaggy said.

"How extreme," Mike chuckled. "Kinda reminds me of when Eddy took up skateboarding to compete against Otto when he came to visit Cartoon Cartoon Friday Studios when it was my turn to host that week."

"Like, how did that turn out?" Shaggy asked.

"He had to put his arm in a cast for a couple of weeks." Mike said from memory.

"I guess skateboarding isn't Eddy's thing." Shaggy said.

"You can say that again." Mike rolled her eyes.

Cindy soon had a book on The Wild West and looked through it. "Talk about a plot twist until the very end..." she muttered to herself as she found something interesting.

"Thanks, fellas, I feel safer already." Shaggy said to the two men.

"Think he needs more help?" The first man asked.

"Definitely." The second man replied.

Cindy put the book away for now and decided to save it for later.

 ** _'As our procession exits, let's welcome our first Bronco Rider: Norville Rogers!'_ ** The host announced as Buddy G rode off on his horse with Scooby.

The crowd then cheered as a couple of men helped Shaggy onto his horse.

"Hey, Scoob!" Shaggy called out to his best friend.

 ** _'Let's give a big hand for him!'_** The announcer continued.

"Did you talk to the horse?!" Shaggy called out to Scooby.

Scooby took a look over to Shaggy, but thought it was just a friendly wave and waved back. "Oh, hi, Shaggy!"

"Great! Thanks, bud!" Shaggy smiled and gave Scooby a thumb's up, thinking that meant 'yes'.

Scooby then walked off and around to the crowd before Shaggy would ride.

"Look at Scooby showing off." Daphne giggled.

"Wait... If Scooby's been out there the whole time..." Trent began.

"He hasn't talked to Shaggy's bronco yet!" Brianna realized.

"Shaggy is done for!" Ellody panicked.

"Shaggy, no!" Scott cried out.

"Stop!" Katrina warned.

"Don't do it!" Cindy added.

Scooby smiled to his friends, but looked concerned as he could hear them and turned to Shaggy as the announcer reminded the audience of a grand prize in the end. "Shaggy, wait for me, Shaggy!" he then panicked and rushed to his best friend.

"Look at 'em, cheering me on," Shaggy smiled and waved. "Like, it's great to have such great friends."

"You know what we call this horse?" Rafe asked Shaggy.

"Buttercup?" Shaggy guessed.

"The Widowmaker." Rafe smirked before whistling.

The horse neighed angrily and then opened the gate.

"Zoinks!" Shaggy panicked.

Scooby rushed over, but soon got away as the horse tried to buck Shaggy, looking quite angered and agitated. People were either cheering in excitement or watching in fear.

"Nice kitty." Zeke smiled as he pet a watermelon in his lap.

"Mike, can't you do something about this?" Lil asked in worry.

"I think Shaggy's got this." Mike replied.

"Like, settle down, Widowmaker!" Shaggy panicked. "Easy! Easy, boy!"

"If you say so..." Lil said, nervously.

"It'll be an interesting experiment, I'll step in if absolutely necessary." Mike reassured her girlfriend.

Shaggy struggled, but he soon seemed to be doing a good job which made Dave and David take pictures and Tawny happily cheered for her cousin.

"See? He's got this." Mike smiled.

Shaggy was laughing and smiled as he was getting the hang of it. Everyone then cheered for Shaggy and even the horse had smiled at him.

 ** _'Come on, let's hear it for Norville Rogers!'_** The announcer told the audience.

Everyone, including Desdemona, cheered for Shaggy's victory. Buddy then turned around and glanced at his sister in surprise. Desdemona looked at him before putting her hands down and brought out her tablet to look bored. Suddenly, the lights went out and green mist came out onto the ground which worried and surprised everyone.

* * *

"Uh-oh, looks like trouble," Jade said to herself quietly, but soon spoke up to everybody. "Um, hey, guys, I gotta go to the bathroom."

"Right now?" Scott asked.

"Yeah, I can't hold it!" Jade replied.

Everyone looked curious as Jade suddenly went away.

"Looks like we're alone." Lisa said to Scott.

"Look, Lisa, you seem like a nice girl and all, and you're Jade's best friend, but I don't like you like that, I'm sorry," Scott told the girl. "I think we should just be friends, but you should know, that I love Jade, and not you. I'm sorry, it's nothing personal, and I'm sorry about your old boyfriend, but you'll find someone who'll be there for you no matter what, it's just not gonna be me. Do you understand?"

"I understand..." Lisa soon sighed in defeat and depression. "But, we can be friends though, right?" she then asked.

"Sure." Scott replied.

"Thanks..." Lisa frowned as she looked away, wiping her eye.

"I'm really sorry, but I love Jade, I'm sure you'll find someone soon though." Scott comforted.

* * *

There were then fireworks in the sky before flames formed the shape of the letter J.

"The Flaming J!" A man cried out.

Dapper Jack laughed as he soon came out of the mist.

"Mike, what are we gonna do?" Lil asked.

"It's hero time." Mike replied.

"Right." Lil nodded.

"Guys, you get to safety." Mike told her friends.

"You sure?" Ellody asked.

"Trust me... We know." Mike winked to the genius girl.

"All right... Come on, guys." Ellody nodded before turning to the others and they ran off together for safety.

"You know what to do." Fred said as he handed a net balled up into a ball and a rope to Velma.

"Yes." Velma nodded.

"You got it." Cindy added.

"Careful, Cindy." Mike whispered before putting on a certain blue mask.

Dapper Jack laughed as the arena was nearly cleared out and he took his horse to exit only to be stopped by a net at the door.

"Come and get it." Fred smirked.

"Right this way!" Daphne added.

Dapper Jack glared and turned his horse to the other door, but there was now a net there too.

"What are you waiting for?" Velma smirked.

"Yeah, come on!" Cindy added.

Dapper Jack growled and turned around until suddenly, Shaggy came on Widowmaker's back, and for once, the cowardly teen looked ready to take on his ancestor.

"Looks like Shaggy's got some help." Cindy commented.

Chicken then grinned and whistled for a stampede.

* * *

"That's the signal!" Longhorn called out to his friends. "Let's go, boys!"

The cattle then went to follow Longhorn as he led them to stampede into the arena.

"STAMPEDE LIKE YOU'VE NEVER STAMPEDED BEFORE!' Longhorn told them as he took the lead.

"That's my Uncle Longhorn!" Chicken laughed.

Dapper Jack tried to get away, but couldn't. The plan worked so far but one of the cattle hit the wall, causing Daphne to fall on the ground.

"Oh, no!" Brianna gasped. "Daphne!"

"Help!" Daphne cried out.

"I gotcha, Daphne!" Fred called out as he twirled a rope like a lasso and held it out to catch her from the stampede.

A steer was about to butt against Daphne, but she was then luckily saved by Fred and his lasso.

"I got ya." Fred smiled.

"Way to go, Freddy!" Daphne smiled back.

Dapper Jack smirked as he was running to the exit, but Fred and Daphne threw the net at him, but unfortunately, he got out of it using his gun. Tawny, Wendy, and the Gundersons got into Tawny's jeep.

"Those cattle are gonna figure out a way outta there, quick, we better get outta here." Tawny said as she started her car as the cattle ran amuck with Longhorn leading them.

"The cattle are headed for Tawny, Wendy, and the Gundersons, we gotta help 'em!" Fred told the others.

"Yee-Haw! Come on, Scoob!" Shaggy cheered as he rode on the horse before taking Scooby by his collar and riding with him towards Longhorn and the other cattle.

"Look at Shaggy!" Katrina called out.

"He's riding like a pro!" Lisa added.

"Let's help him." Trent suggested.

Then suddenly, red, blue, and purple blurs flew past them.

"Jeepers! What was that?" Daphne gasped.

Cindy patted her hair down as the blurs made her hair stand on end and she adjusted her glasses.

"You girlies gonna be all right on your own?" Jess asked the two figures known as Action Girl and Dark Queen.

"We got it, Uncle Jess," Action Girl smiled and nodded. "I'll use that trick that you taught me."

"Good, I'll try to get that fake ghost." Jess replied.

"Be careful." Dark Queen warned.

"Same to y'all, but I don't think you'll need it." Jess told them as he walked away from them.

"Man, isn't he so cool?" Action Girl smiled to Dark Queen.

"I wish he was my uncle." Dark Queen said.

"Mind if I help too?" A voice asked.

The superheroes turned around and saw Jade in her Protector outfit.

"Uh...?" Dark Queen blinked.

"You guys need some help, so that's why I'm here," Jade told them. "Especially when it comes to tanglin' in The Wild West."

"You're one of The Protectors," Dark Queen recognized. "Let me think... Wind, right?"

"Yep," Jade replied. "Man, I can't believe I'm gonna work with the famous superheroes: Action Girl and Dark Queen."

"It's all very exciting and all, but come on, we got a varmint to stop." Dark Queen narrowed her eyes.

"Darn tootin'," Jade replied. "Let's get this show on the road!"

The three heroes then went together while Action Girl brought out some rope to do a trick that Jess taught her when he came to visit.

* * *

Tawny, Wendy, and the Gundersons were still driving away from the stampede.

"They're gaining on us!" Wendy panicked.

It seemed to get worse as steam came out from the car.

"Oh, man, not now, you old hunk of junk," Tawny frowned as she beat on the dashboard as the jeep heated up. "Come on! Augh!"

"Like, come on, Scoob, talk some sense into those cattle!" Shaggy told his best friend.

"Rokay!" Scooby replied before speaking to the steers as they stampeded.

"Sorry, son, I'm afraid we're far from stopping here." Longhorn told Scooby, speaking for the others.

"Well?" Shaggy asked.

"I tried," Scooby frowned. "He's bull-headed."

"We're gonna be stampeded!" Midge panicked.

Wendy narrowed her eyes and then got out of the jeep.

"What in the world are you doin', young lady?!" Tawny asked the girl.

"Please stop!" Wendy called out as she was going towards the stampede. "Stop! Don't!" She then tripped over a rock, falling down, and got knocked out.

"The stampede's going towards Wendy!" Ellody panicked.

Dark Queen looked over and gasped as she then swoop in to save her. The stampede was getting close to the mascot girl.

* * *

Wendy gasped while looking up and luckily the cattle sped by, just missing her.

"Are you okay?" Dark Queen asked Wendy.

"Uh-huh..." Wendy slowly nodded. "Thank you."

Dark Queen then gently laid her down.

"Who are you?" Wendy asked.

"I'm a hero known as Dark Queen." Dark Queen told her.

"DQ... I instantly thought of Dairy Queen." Wendy smiled sheepishly.

"Very funny..." Dark Queen rolled her eyes, but smiled back to Wendy. "You oughta be more careful. You're lucky Action Girl and I were here."

Wendy turned away, sniffling, as she hugged the female superhero, crying her eyes out.

"Hey, you two!" Fred called out to Shaggy and Scooby. "We somehow have to divert the attention from the stampede!"

Then all of a sudden, Velma began to sneeze because of her allergies from riding on the horse with Fred and Daphne while Brianna and Trent rode on their own horse.

"What's all this now?" Longhorn glanced at Velma as she sneezed. "Are you sick?! Get away from me!"

"No, it's just my allergies." Velma told him.

"Hey, guys, need any help?" Action Girl asked as she soon came out.

"Action Girl!" Everyone else called out in shock.

"Uh, yeah, anyway, you need some help?" Action Girl asked.

"Uh, not unless you have a way to get rid of these cattle." Fred said to her.

"And Velma's sneezes are spooking the cattle." Brianna replied.

"Great job, keep it up." Trent told Velma.

"Like I have a choice." Velma sniffled.

"I sure hope this works." Action Girl hoped as she pulled out a rope.

* * *

Velma kept on sneezing due to her horse allergy which began to scare away the cattle. Action Girl straightened out the rope as she narrowed her eyes towards Longhorn as he led the other steers through their stampede and she soon twirled the rope like Wonder Woman's lasso and soon tossed it, latching onto Longhorn's horns and the rope stuck, she struggled a little though, but not too much as her feet slid across the ground as Longhorn tried to run away.

"Hey, what is going on?!" Longhorn complained. "I can't move!"

"Sorry, buddy, can't have ya runnin' out on me!" Action Girl called out as she got a good grip on the rope, making him stop.

"This is great, we can get the cattle back to the arena!" Shaggy smiled as Velma sneezed.

"Ugh... Let's get it quick before my nose falls off..." Velma groaned, sickly.

"All right, Mr. Longhorn Steer, let's get you back to the arena before you and the others get seriously hurt," Action Girl told Longhorn. "I hear a lot of stories about herds of cows jumping off of cliffs just to kill themselves, and I'm not making that happen to you."

"Phew! Thank goodness," Tawny said in relief. "I don't think we would've lasted much longer out there, now to put a little water on the engine."

Action Girl calmly led Longhorn back into the arena with the other cattle.

* * *

Rafe and Kimberly held the gates open together to let the cattle inside and Action Girl then undid the rope to let Longhorn go.

"Ya okay, Uncle Longhorn?" Chicken asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine, sorry," Longhorn replied, now calmed down. "I get a little crazy whenever I stampede."

"Yeah, ya sure do..." Chicken replied. "Cow and me saw back when you tutored us for school, and Dad thought you was a genius."

"I'm just glad you and your friends are safe." Longhorn smiled to his nephew.

Chicken then smiled back. Scooby then made funny faces to mock Longhorn.

"But that darn dog is working my last nerve!" Longhorn growled as he snorted towards the cowardly Great Dane.

Scooby then whimpered and ran away from Cow and Chicken's uncle.

"Well, now I know where I got my temper from." Chicken muttered to himself.

"That was some riding, Shaggy." Velma sniffled.

"You were amazing!" Brianna added.

"Yeah, great job, Shag." Trent smiled.

"Action Girl, I didn't know you could rope like that, did Wonder Woman teach you that or something?" Fred asked the local hero as she came back to the group.

"Oh, no, I learned it from a very good teacher of mine." Action Girl replied.

"Well, keep it up." Fred smiled.

"Sure thing." Action Girl smiled back.

Dark Queen came back with Wendy.

"Wendy, are you all right?" Action Girl asked the mascot girl.

"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks to Dark Queen here." Wendy said.

"Great job." Action Girl told Dark Queen.

"Oh, you know I had to do somethin'." Dark Queen smiled.

"Well, I didn't do anything, Action Girl and Dark Queen did the harder work and Scooby talked to the horse." Shaggy said as he came off of the horse's back.

"Uh... No, I didn't." Scooby told him.

"You did it all be yerself, partner." Jade added.

"Wow! That's amazing!" Shaggy smiled. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need brain stuff to work before I fall down." He then suddenly fainted in the middle of the ground as his cousin pulled up with the Gunderson family.

"Hey, Rafe, do ya know what started that stampede?" Tawny asked.

"Well, somethin' sure spooked 'em." Rafe shrugged.

"Don't worry about that now," Kimberly smiled. "You just head on back to the barn and take care of that dance. We've got things covered here."

"Thanks, guys, you're lifesavers." Tawny smiled back.

Shaggy babbled as Trent and Fred helped carry him away.

"Okay, it looks safe to come out now." Scott said as he hid with the others with Ellody's help.

"Well, thank you, it was really nice working with a Protector." Action Girl replied.

"Aw, shucks, tweren't nuthin'." Jade smiled bashfully.

"I'm just relieved we're all okay." Lisa said.

Jade gave a warning look to Lisa, but looked calm once she saw her childhood best friend wasn't hitting on Scott, at least, not for right now.

"Not to worry about us though, I protected everyone like the hero I am." Lightning smirked as he stood beside Ellody, Scott, Lisa, and Chicken.

Scott and Chicken just rolled their eyes.

"Yeah, screaming like a little girl is really protecting us." Chicken deadpanned.

"Well, I'm glad you're all safe." Jade said as she held her white gemstone and gently pet it like it was precious to her.

"Thanks to you, Protector." Scott smiled.

"No problem, I gotta get goin', now be safe." Jade said before flying away.

"Dark Queen and me gotta leave as well, take care, folks." Action Girl added.

"Until next time." Dark Queen added before leaving with Action Girl.

Everyone then decided to go and get ready for the dance.

Wendy walked off and then something was thrown at her, she yelped at first, but soon picked up the rock and saw a note tied to it with a rose, she untied the knot, taking the rose and reading the note aloud. " ** _'I'm really glad you're safe and out of harm's way, I'd hate for something to happen to a pretty little filly like you before I would have my chance, will you meet me and share one special dance? Signed - A Mysterious but Friendly Stranger'_** ," she then blushed instantly after reading. "Oh, my gosh, it must be from Mike!" she then squealed. "She's asking me for a dance!"

Everyone then went to get ready for the dance tonight.


	17. Chapter 17

"Has anyone seen Uncle Jess?" Mike asked. "I thought he'd be back by now."

Cindy soon looked over and then suddenly saw someone coming. "There is he!" she then called out to the tomboy.

Mike looked over and went out to see her uncle. Jess soon came towards the house and looked over as Mike ran towards him.

"There you are, Uncle Jess." Mike smiled.

"Hey, kiddo," Jess smiled back as he hugged his niece. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I was just getting worried about you." Mike said as she hugged her uncle back.

"I tried to find Dapper Jack, but he disappeared on me." Jess said to her.

"Dang it." Mike complained.

"He won't get away though, you do okay with the stampede?" Jess asked.

"Yeah, I did that rope trick you taught me," Mike smiled. "Luckily Longhorn is Chicken's uncle, he went down a little easy."

"I'm so proud of you." Jess smiled back as he ruffled up her hair and gave her another hug.

"I learned from the best." Mike replied.

"Ya gonna get ready for the big dance?" Jess asked.

"Yeah, I'm pretty excited about it." Mike smiled.

"Gonna dance with your little sweetheart, huh?" Jess replied.

"If she wants to." Mike blushed.

"I'm sure she will, I can't imagine why she wouldn't," Jess chuckled. "Even Sonya dances with Andy sometimes to be nice."

"How _is_ Sonya doing?" Mike asked.

"I... Uh... Erm... Oh, look, there's Lillian right now..." Jess blushed a little bit as he turned around.

"Uncle Jess, do you have a crush on Sonya?" Mike asked.

"You better run along now, y'all have fun now." Jess told Mike, shoving her towards the brunette girl.

"You got that look..." Mike said as she stopped and looked at her uncle. "Uncle Jess, you know you can tell me anything, we're family. Do you or do you not like Sonya?"

"Well, I'd better get ready for that dance too." Jess replied.

"Uncle Jess..." Mike drawled out.

"Okay... I kinda like her..." Jess soon admitted. "She's not like the other women I've been with."

"Really?" Mike asked. "Well, she is technically an ex-mascot because her commercial was banned with the Spongemonkeys, but what do you mean exactly?"

"Well, she's really pretty, brave, and not afraid to take a bullet for someone she really cares about." Jess replied.

"I think that you two would be a really good couple." Mike smiled.

"Ya really think so?" Jess replied.

"You haven't told her how you felt, have you?" Mike asked.

Jess smiled sheepishly.

"Hmm... My cousin Rita from my adoptive family used to give me advice on love back when Haggis and Baggis Cuzzlewitz were crazy about me, maybe I can help a little." Mike suggested.

"Hey, Mike, I'm excited for our dance," Wendy smiled as she came up to the tomboy. "I can't wait."

"Uh, what are you talking about?" Mike asked.

"Didn't you send me a rose?" Wendy frowned.

"Um, no, I didn't, I'm sorry..." Mike said to Wendy.

"Ooh..." Jess winced as this had to be heartbreaking for Wendy right now.

"But... Who else would...?" Wendy asked. "Mike, I thought we liked each other, especially that time when you saved us from Daddy's co-worker."

"Wendy, I do like you, but as a friend." Mike sighed.

"Oh... Okay... But if you didn't send it, then who did?" Wendy wondered.

"Beats me." Mike shrugged.

Wendy looked to her and merely sighed before she took out her blue and white dress to go put on for the dance. A boy with a black hat in a black mask with a red cape watched Wendy with a small smile and disappeared for right now.

* * *

Once everyone got ready, they met up for the dance, but before the party would start, there would be something to announce.

"And for the greatest bronco riding this cowboy has ever seen, the grand prize goes to... Norville Rogers!" The host announced as he brought out a golden trophy filled with money to give to Shaggy.

Shaggy accepted the trophy while everyone else cheered for him.

"Congratulations, Shaggy!" Mike cheered.

"Like, thanks, Mike, you're not mad, are you?" Shaggy replied.

"Nah, you deserve it." Mike said.

"Well, gosh, thanks." Shaggy smiled.

Mike smiled back politely.

"Like, here you go, cous," Shaggy smiled as he gave the trophy to his cousin. "This should save the ranch."

"I-I don't know if I oughta accept this!" Tawny's eyes widened. "You risked your life to help me!"

"All in a day's work, ma'am." Shaggy smiled.

"Thank you so much, Shaggy!" Tawny smiled back as she hugged her distant cousin.

"Aw! Group Hug..." Scooby smiled as he also hugged Shaggy and Tawny.

Music then began to play, starting the dance.

"Aren't you the interior designer?" Ellody asked the cook.

"I'm also a DJ." The cook smiled to her.

"Man, what can't this dude do?" Lightning asked.

* * *

Wendy sighed as Mike and Lil joined together and she looked heartbroken.

"You look distressed..." A voice said.

Wendy looked around and soon saw someone standing beside her with the black mask, a black hat, and a red cape over his shoulders, looking like a masked stranger. "W-Who are you...?" she asked with a slight gasp.

"A mysterious but friendly stranger." The boy replied.

Wendy gasped with wide eyes. "You sent me that rose!"

"I've only known you for a short time, but from the moment I first laid eyes on you, I've felt something special I've never felt before," The boy said to her. "May I have this dance?"

"Why, you certainly may dance with me." Wendy blushed.

The boy soon took Wendy's hands and they moved out onto the dance floor together while everyone else danced and had fun.

* * *

"Nobody will love me... I'll never find my own true love." Lisa sighed as she was also now the owner of a lonely heart since Scott told her that he loved Jade and she just had to accept that.

"Oh, Lisa, don't think like that, you'll find someone soon." Brianna said as she carried a glass of punch.

"You think so?" Lisa asked.

"I know that one day, you'll find the right guy for you." Brianna soothed as she held out the punch to the girl.

"Hm... I guess I just have to wait... I hope it's not long..." Lisa sighed as she took the punch when Brianna gave it to her.

"Here, why don't I sit with you for a minute?" Brianna offered.

"You don't have to do that, don't you wanna dance with Trent?" Lisa asked.

"He can wait." Brianna smiled.

* * *

Daphne, Cindy, and Velma were serving punch as Velma was wearing a black cowboy hat, a cow printed vest, a skirt, and pink and white boots.

"I can't believe that you conned me into wearing this outfit," Velma groaned to Daphne. "How could it get any worse?"

Daphne turned on a light and the neon spelled out 'REFRESHMENTS'.

"Thank you for so distinctly answering my question, Daphne." Velma muttered.

"Stick with the plan, besides, you and Cindy look super cute." Daphne smiled while hugging her.

"Aw, thanks, Daphne." Cindy blushed.

"Hello, ladies~" Larry greeted as he appeared with Kyle.

"Happy to see me?" Kyle smirked to Velma. "Hmm?"

"Yes, but probably not the reason you're thinking of..." Velma smiled at first.

"Grab him before he gets away!" Cindy called out.

"Huh?" Kyle blinked out of confusion and a net fell on top of him.

Fred and Trent glared as they grabbed a hold of him.

"Hey, how'd you know it was-" Kyle glared until he noticed everyone else coming to him. "I mean, how come you think it was me?" he then smiled innocently.

"What's going on?" Wendy asked.

"Wendy, I'm sorry, but your Uncle Kyle is the ghost." Daphne said to the mascot girl.

"Huh?" Wendy's eyes widened. "Uncle Kyle, please tell me that's not true."

"Sorry, Wendy, but we did a little research." Cindy told the girl.

"We knew Kyle might escape from that net, but as a back-up, it was covered in UV Powder," Fred explained. "Enough powder to make sure some would rub off on him."

"We just had to wait for the culprit to step under the black-light, and it lit up like a Christmas Tree." Daphne added.

"Yeah, like you stepped right into it." Shaggy smirked, shoving Kyle against the cops.

"Reah! Right into it." Scooby added.

"You can't prove anything!" Kyle cried out as he was taken away. "Whatchu got, a little UV powder? You got nuthin'! NUTHIN'!"

* * *

"I can't believe that my uncle would do this." Wendy pouted.

The boy then pulled her to a hug comforting her as she was crying.

"Holy cow!" Millie exclaimed. "I can't believe it! You caught the ghost!"

"That's Mystery Inc for ya, Mills." Scott said to his long-lost cousin.

"Well, not exactly..." Trent said to them. "There had to be someone else involved."

"Right... Someone else must've started that stampede..." Ellody said before looking at Chicken. "Did your Uncle Longhorn mention anybody?"

"All that he said to me was that there was two figures, but that's all he knows," Chicken shrugged. "He can't see in the dark ya know."

"Hm... Thanks anyway, Chicken," Ellody said as she scratched her chin. "Maybe there's something in Kyle's room... Tawny, do you have the key?"

Tawny reached into her pocket and brought out a ring of keys, and with that, they went to Kyle's room in the house to find clues.

* * *

"Find anything?" Cindy asked the others.

"These fireworks link Kyle to all of the Flaming J's in the sky." Katrina said.

"But that don't explain who his accomplices were." Jade shrugged.

"Shaggy, how come you guys aren't looking?" Lil asked as she looked over to the cowardly duo.

"Dude... That's gonna eat us!" Shaggy shivered with Scooby, pointing to the bear mounted on the wall.

"Don't be ridiculous, it's stuffed!" Velma replied.

"I was stuffed for lunch, but I still ate more!" Shaggy defended.

"Maybe there's more to this bear head than meets the eye." Fred said as he came closer before pressing on the plaque and the bear head seemed to open up its mouth and showed a key.

"Is that a hidden compartment?" Brianna blinked in surprise.

"Yeah." Trent nodded to her.

Fred unlocked the bear head and opened it, revealing two guns and a hat.

"Look, here's the guns Kyle used to shoot boric acid fire." Ellody examined.

"And here's the cowboy hat he wore," Katrina said as she took out the hat and found something hidden in the rim. "See? This projected the skull face, and this veil he wore over his face to activate Dapper Jack's face."

"That's brilliant!" Ellody had to admit. "Quite ingenious!"

"Ooh, if 'quite ingenious' means 'so scary, I almost lost my appetite', then you're right!" Shaggy said before holding onto Scooby.

"There's something else too..." Cindy said as she took out a book and opened it up. "It's Rufus Carmichael's diary! And... Look at this... A business card for Black Rattler Management..." she then looked at the book again and saw three young girls in bonnets and dresses which were pale red, green, and blue, and seemed to wear giant steam engine jet packs. "Belulah, Babette, and Bailey: The Steamypuff Girls'? They must be the Powerpuff Girls' ancestors or something."

"Black Rattler Management? That's the company that's been buying up the town," Velma said before suddenly getting an idea. "Guys, I know who's behind all of this. We gotta get back to the Barn Dance."

* * *

 ** _Back at the dance..._**

"Wendy, I'm really sorry about your uncle..." The mysterious boy said to Wendy as he twirled and dipped her like a gentleman as they shared a romantic dance together. "I promise, I'll do anything I can to help make you feel better."

"Thank you, kind stranger." Wendy smiled.

"Well, we finally finished driving them cattle back into their pens." Rafe said as he came back with his daughter.

"Did we miss anything?" Kimberly added.

Then suddenly, Velma, Cindy, and Ellody were on stage.

"Excuse me? Hi," Velma cleared her throat. "We found Sheriff Carmichael's diary."

"And the story of Dapper Jack turns out to be a lot more different than the one they tell tourists, listen to this." Ellody added.

Cindy adjusted her glasses and took the book to read aloud to everyone to hear. " _'The People of Sorghum City loved that cool Jack Rogers, or Dapper Jack as they called him. They think he's kind, they think he's warm-hearted. They think he's generous. Always willing to lend a hand. No one loved him more though than them Steamypuff Girls who were able to overthrow Mojo the Kid and he taught them that if they put their minds to it, they can accomplish anything, and that includes taking him on along with The Gangverde Gang to keep this town safe. If life has taught me anything, it's that anything one man has, another man may take the so-called Dapper Jack'_."

"Yes, Sheriff Carmichael wanted everyone to love him the way they loved Dapper Jack, so he framed him for cattle rustling," Ellody added. "He turned the whole town against him. Here, he says he had trouble catching Jack because of his amazing abilities on horseback, which, as you all see, his descendant Shaggy inherited from him."

"Does he say anything about not being able to grow a full beard?" Shaggy asked as he scratched his goatee. "'Cuz I _definitely_ inherited that from someone."

"Now listen to this," Cindy told the crowd as she still held the diary. " _'May 17th, 1867. I finally caught Dapper Jack by Winchell Pipe while keeping those bratty Steamypuff Girls busy by making them go to school. He was a fast draw, but a poor shot. As it turns out, Jack Rogers was more dead than he ever was alive. I can commit an all matter of crimes, and blame Dapper Jack: the great outlaw! The whole town curses his name! One day, I will simply disappear for a week or so, and return with a tale of tracking down, and ending Dapper Jack. I will be remembered forever as a hero while Jack Rogers's name goes down in the anthills of history worse than that dimwitted Lone Star Bravo'_."

"Well, clearly this sheriff was a byproduct of bad parenting." Midge scolded.

"Just as Sheriff Carmichael used Dapper Jack to steal from the town, someone else is now using Dapper Jack's ghost to steal from the town." Velma then stated.

"And that someone is... Rafe and Kimberly!" Ellody revealed.

Both Tawny and Millie gasped to the father and daughter.

Rafe just laughed. "My little filly wouldn't hurt a fly, why, that's just plain-"

The others cut him off with glares as they came toward both Rafe and Kimberly. Rafe backed up and felt a gun pointed at his back he turned around and saw Jess has his gun pointed at his back.

"Hold it right there, pal, let's take this nice and easy." Jess told Rafe.

"Hey, man, we didn't do nuthin'!" Kimberly glared only to get a rope tied around her, thanks to Scooby.

"Howdy, partner." Scooby smirked.

"Nice roping, Scooby-Doo." Buddy smiled.

"It was you?!" Tawny asked Rafe in shock. "But... Why?!"

"Ah..." Rafe sighed in defeat. "I lined up a deal with the company that builds resorts. They offered millions for the Sorghum City area."

"But why would you pretend to be a ghost?" Millie frowned.

"The company wanted to build a theme around Dapper Jack: The Outlaw," Rafe said as he tried to undo the rope without them knowing. "So I came up with a fake ghost. They got interested in the outlaw store, and it would scare people off so I could sell their land, and my company: Black Rattler Management. How'd you know it was us?"

"Simple," Cindy replied. "You two said you built the Dude Ranch's website yourself, and you used El Kabong font."

"No professional would use that font!" Velma added. "No one with any taste or self-respect would-"

"Easy there, Velma..." Daphne warned.

"Anyway, we saw the font on the Black Rattler Management business card," Velma continued. "There can't possibly be two people in the world who would use that font. I MEAN, LOOK AT IT!"

" _We_ still like it." Kimberly shrugged in defense.

"The moral of the story is: never use El Kabong font!" Velma scolded.

Kimberly and Rafe pushed the geniuses and Jess out of the way and grabbed two rifles.

"You'll never take us!" Rafe warned.

"Lil, you know it's time to kick some action." Mike told her girlfriend.

Lil nodded and followed after her girlfriend to change to their alter egos.

"We'll be outta the country by morning," Kimberly said as she took the money. "$10,000 will get us a long way!"

"We'll be taking her too!" Rafe smirked as he then suddenly grabbed Wendy and tied her up as a hostage. "Nobody is going to stop us!"

The lights then turned off which made everybody confused.

"Who turned off the lights?" Cindy wondered.

* * *

Luckily for Mike and Lil, they could see in the dark and soon changed into Action Girl and Dark Queen.

"Let me go with you." A mysterious voice told them.

"Wait, is this Jacob?" Lil asked while changing.

"I have to save Wendy Thomas..." The boy told her.

"You love her, don't you?" Mike guessed.

"I want to protect her until the day I die." Jacob promised.

"Aww..." Mike and Lil smiled as they found that touching and heartwarming.

"All right, you can come with us, but on one condition: you keep what you see us do tonight a secret." Mike told the boy.

"I will, I promise." Jacob nodded.

Mike and Lil look at each other smiled as they put on their masks.


	18. Chapter 18

"I can't see!" Kimberly complained.

"Hold it, dirt bags!" Action Girl's voice called out.

"Who said that?" Rafe asked.

The lights turned on and everyone looked up as they saw Action Girl and Dark Queen, sitting on top of the barn roof, wearing cowboy hats.

"Who are you?!" Rafe demanded.

"You mean to tell me you haven't heard of great heroes?" Action Girl replied, tipping her hat like in an Old Western movie with her feet up and arms folded as Dark Queen did the same. "That sickens and saddens me on so many levels."

"Especially when it's a special new team-up." Dark Queen added.

"What're your names, mysterious strangers?" Kimberly narrowed her eyes.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Action Girl laughed. "I'm Action Girl, this is Dark Queen, and you two are in toasted."

Jacob soon came to Wendy once Rafe and Kimberly were distracted so he could save the girl of his dreams.

"It's you!" Wendy gasped.

"Calm down, it's going to be okay." Jacob comforted.

Wendy whimpered slightly.

"Shh... Shh... It's okay..." Jacob shushed and comforted her as he saved her.

Action Girl soon grabbed onto the wagon and stopped it, showing how strong she was.

"Let go! How did you do that?!" Kimberly demanded.

"We told you not to mess with us, now you're gonna pay the price, we're The Good, and you're both The Bad and The Ugly." Dark Queen smirked.

Rafe then pulled out his rifle and started shooting at the two superheroes.

"Why do they always wanna do it the hard way?" Action Girl sighed before glancing to Jacob.

* * *

Jacob soon had Wendy and gave a thumb's up to the heroes as he jumped out to hide with Wendy to safety in the shadows so that Rafe and Kimberly wouldn't see them.

"Someone get them!" Midge called out.

"Oh, we'll lose the ranch if we don't get that $10,000 back." Millie frowned with Tawny.

Buddy and Scooby nodded to each other and Buddy got on Scooby's back.

"Hi-ho, Scooby!" Buddy called out like The Lone Ranger.

"Buddy, come back!" Midge shrieked for her only son. "It's too dangerous!"

Scooby and Buddy soon ran together before hopping onto the runaway wagon.

"They're gonna need some help." Brianna told the others.

Jess got on his horse and goes after the wagon to help out his niece and her girlfriend.

"There ain't but one horse fast enough to catch the coach, and that's-" Larry told the others until he soon saw Shaggy riding on a certain horse to catch up to them. "Buckstitch!"

"Shaggy?!" Brianna and Trent gasped.

"I'll save ya, guys!" Shaggy called out as he chased them with his horse.

"They're gonna have a hard time finding them in this darkness." Larry warned the others.

* * *

"Are you all right, Wendy?" Jacob asked.

"Yes... Thank you, Stranger... You're such an amazing boy..." Wendy panted and smiled up to him. "You're so sweet, brave, and adventurous... Who are you, really?"

"Oh, uh, um..." Jacob smiled nervously, backing up as he didn't want her to know yet, but he soon tripped on a rock and fell backwards, making his hat and mask come off.

"J-Jacob?!" Wendy's eyes widened with a gasp.

"Surprise...?" Jacob smiled nervously and sheepishly.

Wendy then got up to Jacob, giving him a kiss on the lips. Jacob's eyes widened, but he smiled while blushing.

"My hero~" Wendy smiled to him.

* * *

"Like, I can't even see them!" Shaggy frowned until he then looked up into the sky as he saw fireworks thanks to the group.

"This oughta help him." Trent smiled.

"This way, son." Jess told Shaggy.

"Oh, wow," Shaggy smiled before looking back to his friends. "Thanks, fellas! Come on, Buckstitch, this one's for Dapper Jack and The Steamypuff Girls!"

"Hold still, Caped Freak!" Kimberly glared as she was fighting against Dark Queen.

"Ooh, you said 'The F Word', I don't take kindly to that word." Dark Queen replied.

"Freak, Freak, Freak, what are you gonna do about it?" Kimberly scoffed.

"This." Dark Queen said before making Kimberly's shadow come to life and attack her.

"What the-?!" Kimberly yelped. "What is this? Some kind of magic trick?!"

"It's justice coming into action." Dark Queen replied before she soon attacked Kimberly herself.

"You can't fight me, I'm just a child!" Kimberly pouted. "I don't know any better!"

"Yeah, right, you're a villain, and I hate villains like yourself." Dark Queen glared.

"You're really gonna hurt a child?" Kimberly asked. "I didn't think heroes did that."

"I'm sorry, but not even children are exempt from being evil." Dark Queen glared.

* * *

"We gotta stop 'em from getting away," Buddy said to Scooby. "You try to get the money, I'll see if I can get the horses."

"Okay." Scooby nodded.

Buddy soon went under the wagon while Scooby pulled up towards the money.

"Why you hittin' yourself? Why you hittin' yourself?" Dark Queen mocked as she controlled Kimberly's shadow to make it hit Kimberly in the face.

"QUIT IT!" Kimberly cried out.

"Make me." Dark Queen glared.

"I will!" Kimberly glared back and soon tackled the female superhero. "I'm gonna make you wish that you were never born!"

"I think you might wanna deal with my girlfriend first." Dark Queen said.

"Girlfriend?" Kimberly asked.

Action Girl tapped her shoulder, making the young cowgirl turned around only to get punched in the face.

"Why, you!" Kimberly growled at them. "That's it, you two. We are going to have a showdown, you against me, I'm one of the best shooters in this town! Ain't nobody that's ever defeated me before!"

Dark Queen and Action Girl looked at each other and nodded at Kimberly.

"You're on." Action Girl accepted the challenge.

* * *

The two superheroes had their capes wrapped around their wrapped around themselves, much to Kimberly's confusion, but she shook it off. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly theme played as all three of them had a stare down.

"I've learned how to shoot when I could walk, y'all are gonna wish you hadn't met me." Kimberly glared.

"I made that wish as soon as I saw right through you." Action Girl sneered.

Like in cliché Wild West movies, black bars came from nowhere and the color became muted as the three girls stared at each other from across another. Kimberly then spat at the side and flexed her fingers. Action Girl and Dark Queen narrowed their eyes at Kimberly and she did the same back. Eventually, Kimberly tucked and rolled down before taking out her gun an began to shoot at the two superheros. Kimberly grinned as she thought that she got them. Action Girl and Dark Queen both laid dead on the ground.

A lot of the others looked shocked and in dismay. Kimberly smirked as she came to finish the job, walking towards them. However, Dark Queen kicked the guns out of her hands and before she could bend down and pick them up, both heroes gave Kimberly a swift punch in the face and knocked her out cold. Action Girl then tied up Kimberly so she wouldn't escape.

"That oughta teach her, though I gotta admit, not a bad shot for her age." Dark Queen said to Action Girl.

"Don't bruise her ego," Action Girl smirked before smiling softly. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Dark Queen replied. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine, nothing we can't handle." Action Girl said.

"Are we really gonna take this girl to jail though?" Dark Queen asked.

"Nah, but she still needs to be locked up for what she did." Action Girl said.

"All we need to do now is take down one more person." Dark Queen reminded.

"Right." Action Girl nodded.

"Y'all best pull over right now, resistance is useless!" Jess glared to Rafe. "We can see ya now!"

"And I can see you!" Rafe glared back as he began to shoot at Jess and Shaggy, but luckily they dodged the shots.

"This was a terrible idea!" Shaggy cried out.

"I don't miss twice." Rafe warned the two.

"You will soon," Jess narrowed his eyes. "Now, Scooby!"

Scooby soon rammed his head against Rafe which made his gun fly out of his hand and carry the trophy in his mouth. "Ta-Ta~" he then mocked before jumping and landed behind Shaggy.

"Whoo-hoo!" Shaggy cheered. "Nice safe, Scoob!"

"Ya can't stop me!" Rafe glared at Shaggy, Scooby, and Jess.

"I don't have to." Shaggy glared back.

Rafe then turned around and saw that Buddy was riding a horse.

"Howdy, partner! You're not gonna get too far without these guys," Buddy said as he unlatched the horses from the coach. "Happy Trails, cowboy!"

Jess then got on top of his horse and jumped to the wagon, and then tackled Rafe. The cart soon rode off the hill and crashed.

"Now, I ain't gonna say it again," Jess glared. "Come along nice and quietly."

"Never, I beat you up before, and I'll do it again!" Rafe glared back. "Say your prayers, after I finish you off, I'll finish that niece of yours you're so fond of!"

"You're going nowhere near her!" Jess growled.

"You think you can stop me?" Rafe replied as he drew out his pistol.

"Yes, I do, aren't you forgetting 'bout who I am?" Jess glared as he brought out his own gun.

"I'll be famous for killing Jess Harper." Rafe smirked darkly.

"I oughta rip out your vocal chords so you won't be able to talk anymore!" Jess retorted.

"I'm not afraid of an ex-gunslinger cowboy like you!" Rafe smirked.

"Well, ya oughta be." Jess glared.

"Bring it on then." Rafe glared back.

The two then began a shoot-out like in Old West movies.

Rafe hid behind the tree, now loading his gun. "You're gonna be finished, Harper, you won't be able to stop me!" He then called out from behind the tree.

"Maybe in your dreams," Jess huffed. "I handled goons like you in Laramie, and I don't plan to stop any time soon."

Mike and Lil soon walked together, but then stopped once they saw that Jess and Rafe were going against each other.

"Should we help him?" Lil asked.

Mike didn't say anything, but ran over there. Rafe looked over with a smirk, and he then shot Mike.

" **MIIIIIIKE!** " Jess called out to his young niece.

"Oh, no!" Lil gasped.

"It's a silver bullet!" Mike groaned as she soon held her arm as a bullet was shot through. "My God, it hurts!"

"What're you gonna do now that I-" Rafe mocked Jess.

Jess soon punched Rafe clear cut in his face, bloodying his nose and making the man fall over and black out from the strong punch. Mike groaned and grunted as she was in a worse pain than she could ever imagine. Jess went over to Rafe with a growl.

Rafe slowly opened his eyes as he saw Jess's eyes turned red. "W-W-What is going on with your eyes?" he stuttered.

Jess snarled as he sounded like a wolf himself and grabbed Rafe by his throat, lifting him off the ground while Lil comforted Mike.

"I'm going to get the bullet out, okay?" Lil coaxed to Mike.

"Then you'll get hurt." Mike warned.

"I don't care." Lil replied.

"Lil, I can't let you do that..." Mike groaned.

Lil soon took a hold of Mike to get the bullet out, no matter what it would take.

"L-Let me go!" Rafe panicked from Jess's hold like Gaston against The Beast. "I'll do anything! Anything!"

Jess looked aggressive at first, but he soon settled down, but not before pulling Rafe to his face as a serious warning. "Get out."

Rafe then nodded as the ex-gunslinger dropped him. Jess then came towards Mike and Lil as Mike suffered a bit while Lil removed the silver bullet.

* * *

"I got it!" Lil said as she took out the silver bullet and threw it away quickly. "How are you feeling now?"

"Much better, thank you." Mike smiled.

Jess soon came towards the girls.

"It's okay, Uncle Jess, Lil helped me..." Mike told her uncle. "That was amazing, Lil."

"It was no biggie." Lil smiled bashfully.

Jess held out his hand. Mike smiled to her uncle and took his hand before standing straight up.

"You know, Scoob, I don't really mind being mistaken for Dapper Jack now." Shaggy smiled to his best friend.

"Scooby-Dooby-Doo!" Scooby laughed.


	19. Chapter 19

Eventually, both Rafe and Kimberly were put under arrest once everyone joined back together.

"We would've gotten away with it if it wasn't for them meddling kids." Rafe grumbled.

"And their nosy horse!" Zeke added.

"Not a horse." Scooby pouted.

"But a pretty good dog." Buddy chuckled and petted the Great Dane's head.

"That, he is." Scott smiled.

"I can't believe you would do this, Kimberly," Erica said to her old friend with Lynne and Virginia. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid you won't be able to come to the Country Music Awards with us."

"We were gonna introduce you to Luke Bryan too." Lynne added.

"Ah, whatever, keep your music and shove it!" Kimberly scoffed to her old friends. "I'll be back! You'll see!"

"Yeah, right." Mike scoffed to her.

The cops then took both Rafe and Kimberly away.

"So, you guys are The Country Chicks," Scott said to the preteen celebrities. "You guys know Kimberly?"

"We all used to go to camp together when we were little," Virginia said. "We all became good friends, and we won a Talent Show with our singing and Kimberly choreographed a dance. A talent scout happened to come by and see us, and gave us a contract. Kimberly thought it would be nice for us, so we signed the contract..."

"And we became **THE COUNTRY CHICKS!** " Lynne and Erica then concluded in unison with Virginia while posing together.

* * *

"So, here you are again." Shaggy said as he handed the trophy to his cousin.

"I can't thank you enough," Tawny smiled. "I mean, all of you, but especially you, cous."

"Like, it's too bad all the tourists think our ancestor was a desperado." Shaggy said.

"They won't anymore, Shaggy," Tawny smiled which made him smile back. "From now on, I'm tellin' everyone the true story of Dapper Jack and his 'ventures with The Steamypuff Girls."

"Aren't you afraid that'll hurt business?" Ellody asked. "Everybody likes the Dapper Jack outlaw story."

"Come on!" Tawny replied. "With the story of Rufus Carmichael? The story of the outlaw/criminal mastermind is way better!"

"I'm just surprised that the Powerpuff Girls even had ancestors back then." Cindy commented.

"The only story I wanna hear is why I can't grow a decent beard like Dapper Jack," Shaggy pouted. "I have more hair on my toes than I do on my chin!"

"Ugh... TMI, cous..." Tawny groaned to that.

Everyone, minus Zeke, just laughed.

"Well, Mike, I better head back to the ranch before Slim and Sonya send the dogs after me." Jess said to his big city niece.

"When will I see you again, Uncle Jess?" Mike asked.

"Oh, you'll see me soon enough, and if you ever want to visit, you're always welcome to the ranch." Jess invited.

"I'm going to miss you." Mike said as she came over to her uncle and gave him a hug.

"I'll miss ya too, but ya know that I'm never that far away," Jess comforted while hugging her back. "Take good care of that Lillian girl."

"You take care of Sonya." Mike then smirked.

Jess blushed to that, but cleared his throat. "Uh, tell Jamie, Jen, and Sky that I said 'hello'."

"Will do." Mike promised.

"Hiyah!" Jess called out and made his horse take him back home to the ranch.

The group then waved to the ex-gunslinger.

"Thank you!" Cindy called out.

"Thanks for everything, Mr. Harper!" Daphne added.

"Could I get your phone number?!" Lisa asked.

Everyone just looked at her.

"What?" Lisa asked.

"I guess it's time for us to head out too." Trent suggested.

"Right, Trent." Fred agreed.

"Thank you for everything." Millie smiled as she gave her cousin a hug.

"Just don't take so long to come over next time." Millie smirked to Scott.

"Will do," Scott chuckled. "I'll say hi to Al and Rodney for ya."

The two cousins shared another hug before splitting up.

* * *

"Scott, I think we should treat Lisa to something nice," Jade suggested. "Get her out of the house, I don't want her to be holed up at home with a broken heart like Wendy."

"Sure, I'd like that." Scott nodded.

"Maybe we can invite Rodney too." Jade then suggested.

"Oh, boy..." Scott muttered about his girl crazy cousin coming along, but shrugged.

Jacob and Wendy waved along with the others and he soon took her hand and she smiled and blushed to that.

"Bye, Mike, it was nice meeting you!" Trish called out.

"Thanks, Scooby!" Buddy added.

"Bye, cous!" Millie smiled to Scott.

* * *

The group was then now on the road.

"Like, man, I sure am glad we were able to clear Dapper Jack's name," Shaggy smiled proudly. "I like knowing my ancestor was one of the good guys."

Scooby looked over with Shaggy and they did a double take as they looked at top of a canyon, seeing a man on horseback with three girls with steam engines behind their backs. It seemed to be Dapper Jack's ghost with the Steamypuff Girls as he tipped his hat before fading away with the three girls.

"Did ya see that, Scooby-Doo?" Shaggy asked his best friend.

"No." Scooby replied.

"Heh... Me neither..." Shaggy smiled nervously.

"Yee-Haw!" Scooby laughed as they rode off back home. "Scooby Dooby Doo!"


	20. Chapter 20

When everyone got home, Jade and Scott decided to have a special night with Lisa who was at home right now, but would be taken in for a surprise when Jade told her to come at a certain time.

"My cousin and Lisa?" Scott asked. "Are you sure about that, Jade?"

"I'm positive that this will work out great." Jade comforted.

"I guess... This is Rodney we're talking about..." Scott reminded her.

"All right, you get dinner together and I'll go get Lisa." Jade smiled as she went to her childhood best friend's house.

Scott then went to take care of dinner.

* * *

"Lisa, please come out of your room, you can't stay in there forever!" A woman's voice pouted.

"Yes, I can!" Lisa sulked as she buried her face in her pillow while crying. "Nobody's ever going to love me!"

Jade then rang the doorbell and the woman of the house opened the door. "Howdy, ma'am, I need to borrow Lisa for a little bit." The teenage cowgirl greeted her friend's mother.

"Oh, hello, Jade, please come in..." Lisa's mother smiled. "I'm afraid Lisa's still a little heartbroken, with what happened to that Jeff Bennett boy."

Lisa's father frowned as he stood by his daughter's bedroom door as she cried.

Jade went upstairs and knocked on the door. "Lisa, it's me, Jade," she said while knocking on the door. "I need you to come with me."

"Jade?" Lisa pouted. "Oh, now's not a good time... I'm a mess."

"Come on, Lisa, you need to get outta the house," Jade told her best friend. "Don't make me lasso you like when we were kids on the couch durin' rainstorms."

Lisa then got up and opened the door while sniffling.

"Come on." Jade said as she grabbed her hand.

"Okay..." Lisa pouted.

"Thanks, Mr. and Mrs. Foxworthy." Jade smiled to Lisa's parents as they waved to the girls as they left.

Lisa took a deep breath and tried to relax. "I'm sorry, Jade, I just don't think I'll ever find the right boy..." she said. "I don't think I can babysit Dexter and Dee Dee again for a long time."

* * *

Meanwhile, Scott was taking Rodney home as well after he got done getting dinner ready.

"I had to break-up with Sky and Zoey." Rodney cried, looking as miserable as Lisa was.

"You didn't even date them." Scott pointed out, bitterly.

"It was the hardest thing I ever had to do." Rodney pouted.

"Oh, brother!" Scott groaned and rolled his eyes. "Well, uh, cous, you know what they say, there's plenty of birds in the sea... Uh, or is it fish?" he then looked confused.

"Will I ever find my true love?" Rodney pouted.

Scott rolled his eyes again, he then saw Jade and Lisa coming towards them which made him smile.

"Ooh, something smells good..." Lisa smiled.

"There's chicken with some potatoes and cabbage, oh, and hot honey rolls, I hope that's okay." Jade told her.

"Sounds nice." Lisa replied.

* * *

Lisa got the doorknob as the same time as Rodney. They both looked at each other, Rodney had his usual love fest at Lisa, and Lisa blushed deeply at him. Jade hid a small smirk while Scott rolled his eyes since this always happened to Rodney.

"Uh... Hi..." Lisa smiled. "I'm Lisa."

"I'm Rodney." Rodney smiled back.

"You're cute," Lisa smiled. "Wanna be my boyfriend?"

"Yes!" Rodney beamed as he wanted to hear that question almost all his life.

"I give it a few days until Rodney finds another girl." Scott whispered to Jade with a joking smirk.

"Nah, I don't think so," Jade told her boyfriend. "I think those two are really in love with each other."

Scott shrugged.

* * *

Eventually, the four sat down to have some dinner together before they would watch some movies.

"I rented a couple of movies before the night," Jade told the others, taking out two DVDs. "A romantic comedy and a horror flick."

"Uh-huh..." Lisa replied as she stared into Rodney's eyes.

"Sounds nice..." Rodney added as he stared into Lisa's eyes.

Jade then nudged Scott with a knowing smile as Lisa and Rodney looked genuinely in love with each other.

"Let's leave them alone." Jade suggested.

Scott nodded and went to watch the movies with his girlfriend.

"Man, Jade can sure cook a good meal." Lisa smiled.

"Would you like my roll?" Rodney asked.

"You sure you don't mind?" Lisa asked.

"I'd love to give you my roll any time." Rodney smiled.

"Thanks, Rodney, you're really sweet." Lisa smiled back.

* * *

Meanwhile at Cindy's house, the young girl was reading the same book that she read back at the ranch. "Very interesting..." she said to herself as she got deep into the story.

"What's up, Cin?" Sledgehammer asked.

"It's a little more on the Wild West with Dapper Jack and The Steamypuff Girls." Cindy told her pet possum.

"The Powerpuff Girls have ancestors?" Sledgehammer asked.

"I know, weird, huh?" Cindy replied.

"Were they made by the Professor?" Sledgehammer asked.

"Yeah, back then, there was another Professor Utonium," Cindy said as she showed him. "They were made out of of sassafras, arsenic, and everything old-fashioned, with coal as the accidental extra ingredient and they use coal-powered steam engines strapped to them to fight crime. Belulah, Bailey, and Babette. Dapper Jack also loved them like his own nieces and they even called him 'Uncle Jack' and he helped encouraged them to become heroes."

"Wow." Sledgehammer commented.

"I know," Cindy nodded. "I better show this to Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup tomorrow, but right now, I better get some sleep."

"You've had a long day, you just got home from a big vacation." Sledgehammer said.

"Uh-huh..." Cindy nodded and yawned before putting the book away and turned out the light. "Night, Sledge."

"Night, Cin." Sledgehammer smiled.

And everyone went to sleep after a long adventure from The Wild West.

The End


End file.
